Couples Therapy. Working together to re-connect & resolve relationship problems
“Love isn't something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn't a feeling, it is a practice.”
Erich Fromm
Couples Therapy can help people in relationships and marriages
If you feel disconnected from your partner
If you feel isolated in your relationship
If you and your partner frequently behave in ways that create distance from each other
If you and your partner frequently turn small disagreements into arguments with difficulty reaching a shared solution
If you or your partner have difficulty moving forward from past events
When your friends and family cannot help you reflect on your problems in perspectives
When speaking to others have not increased your peace and confidence in your ability to enhance your relationship
As a relationship therapist, I want to help you navigate the most challenging aspects of your relationship. I am most interested in helping couples re-connect, rebuild the foundation for mutual trust and intimacy, and heal from the hurt of past conflicts. I believe in lifelong personal growth- my relationship therapy approach builds on the core foundation of promoting self and joint discovery and co-developing courage to be more responsible and accounatble for actions important within the relationship. To experience contentment and joy in relationships, we must learn to relate to ourselves and to others with acceptance and assertiveness. Relating to others without wanting them to change to benefit self requires us to increase awareness and acceptance for ourselves too (as described on our Individual Therapy page). The couple therapy sessions will help you evaluate where you and your partner are doing well, less well, and the factors that are blocking you to experience harmony and relationship satisfaction.
When couples come in for therapy, I endeavour to provide both partners a safe and non-judgemental space where both partners feel they can come together to share and explore feelings toward problematic relationship patterns and learn new ways of interacting and communicating their differences, concerns, and needs. I will tailor therapy to suit each couple depending on their relationship history, inidivual characteristics and needs, ensuring that as individuals, both partners feel supported, that they can move forward, as a couple, as friends, or as co-parents, with confidence .
Jerodine Newman, Psychologist, Koira Psychology - Gold Coast
Working Together
FAQs about Couples Therapy
-
Couples Therapy works most effectively when the therapist and both partners can develop a therapeutic connection to communicate openly and honestly.
It is my responsibility as your relationship psychologist to encourage you and your partner to share your opinions about any concerns you may have with your relationship, especially with issues both of you may find difficult and sensitive to bring up without support. I will seek permission to talk with each partner about their concerns in relation to their own internal problems. It is through the process of developing a deeper understanding of youself and of your partner that new ways of connecting to self, others, the past and the present are created together.
-
One of the main goals of Couples Therapy is to increase self-awareness and understanding of each partner. Depending on the issues with a couples' relationship and the self and joint discovery process, it is possible for partners to move forward together as a couple with renewed commitment to ecah other; while it is also equally possible for partners to move forward as friends with renewed respect and acceptance. Couples who are parents to dependent children who wish to renew their relationship as friends will be encouraged to attend Family Therapy sessions to build a stronger family system going forward
-
Although Koira Psychology encourages couples to attend sessions in person, Couples Therapy can be conducted remotely via a Telehealth access platform. Currently, COVIU provides our Telehealth services. You will receive a web link by email/sms before your session time.
-
Yes, it is possible to have a therapy session in this format. However, when couples attend sessions separately from each other, their sense of partnership is reduced. Mostly, couples benefitted more from attending sessions together from one location as this gives them the opportunity to have a dialogue in real time (without potential technical delays and interruptions), discuss issues with courage and respect, and support each other as a team.
-
This is a common question that is difficult to provide a simple answer for. Many factors can affect the couple’s ability to commit to therapy. After an initial session, I may suggest for one or both partners to engage first with individual therapy before coming together for couples work. Depending on the needs and contexts specific to the relationship, I co-construct therapy goas with each couple. As the therapy process progresses, couples can usually ‘see’ their current position to the goal they wish to achieve.
“Love rests on two pillars: surrender and autonomy. Our need for togetherness exists alongside our need for separateness.”
Esther Perel
