Marriage and Relationship Counselling
Some see couples / marriage / relationship counselling as a very daunting prospect. It can be hard to open up to a counsellor about your relationship as it is a private area of your life. Many people are reluctant to discuss their relationship or marital problems with friends or family.
This is why relationship counselling for couples is designed to be a gentle process, and not too alarming or frightening! It is important to use humour so that clients feel relaxed and that they are able to share.
All couple sessions are 75 minutes
What is Couples Counselling?
My approach is to find what works for you.
I use couples / marriage / relationship counselling techniques that use the latest scientific, evidence based theories. I combine this with the lived experience of my own history of relationships and marriage, and raising a family in a society that places many demands on couples: that values the extraordinary and leaves many of us doing the best we can juggling many aspects of our lives in often time poor lives.
Above all else, I design a tailor-made program of couples counselling that suits each individual couple. I look at many different sources and resources to assist my couples to improve their relationships.
Find out more about Briony’s qualifications and training in couples counselling here.What is involved in Couples/Marriage Counselling?
From the very first session you will experience having greater knowledge and understanding of your partner. Our aim is to give couples the strategies in sessions to try at home between sessions and to use long after the crisis and therapy has passed.
Couples counselling can be done in a number of different ways. I have a model that I use in my counselling and this is explained very clearly from the beginning so you know at the first session what the counselling will entail.
First Counselling Session
Generally, I suggest a couple come together for the first session and provide a detailed history of their relationship or marriage. At the end of that session one can elect to contact me for further appointments or book further appointments at that time.
Second Counselling Session
There is no pressure. Depending on your preference I often will see the couple separately and have a session with each partner on an individual basis. You can elect to have your relationship thoroughly assessed with an online questionnaire that is collated at the University of Washington in Seattle and sent back to me within 24 hours which highlights your relationship strengths and areas that require strengthening.
How can your relationship be improved?
There are many areas we can improve in a relationship and they include –
- Looking at how our families of origin impact on our relationship and parenting
- Teaching a couple how to manage conflict
- How to repair some of the fights or incidents that occur in a relationship
- Reducing contempt, defensiveness, stone-walling, and criticism
- Building the friendship component of a relationship
- Improving the quality of intimacy and sex in the relationship