The first step in building bridges in your relationship

Being in a positive relationship can have a huge impact on our lives, increasing our sense of wellbeing and happiness and nurturing our emotional needs. Unfortunately, when relationships turn negative, it can be devastating, leaving us feeling isolated, betrayed, unhappy and angry. There is no rule book when it comes to happy relationships and most of us have our ups and downs, doing the best we can to work as a team. When communication breaks down, it can be hard to see a way through. Just who do you turn to when your soul mate is no longer there?

Relationship counselling Melbourne

Are you constantly arguing? Is your home just a hotbed of tension and simmering resentment? Is there a lack of intimacy in the relationship? Often these small but regular relationship issues are symptoms of a bigger problem that you may not even be aware of. Relationships can often be challenging, particularly when there are different cultures, beliefs, opinions and backgrounds involved. Life Supports accredited counsellors and psychologists will help you to recognise the issues you face, both individually and as a couple, helping you to rediscover yourself and your partner with a greater sense of appreciation for both. Our relationship counsellors are happy to offer their services to all relationships and partnerships.

Couples counselling all across Melbourne

When a marriage breaks down, particularly when there are children involved, it can be painful for everyone. An experienced relationship counsellor can help you break through those defensive walls and start to face each other again. Most marriages face problems throughout their duration but some can be more serious than others such as:

  • Extra-marital affairs
  • Sexual problems
  • Controlling or abusive behaviour
  • Loss of intimacy
  • Imbalance of power
  • Family issues

Life Supports relationship counsellors can help you find a way forward. We are not only here to listen but to put positive plans and strategies in place that will make a difference to your relationship.

Start building bridges in your relationship

Our relationship and marriage counselling focuses on both of you, individually as well as a couple. The result is a greater self-awareness, a better understanding of your partner and helping you to identify the issues surrounding your marriage or relationship problems. Once these issues are out in the open, we can help you to identify what action you need to take in order to reach either a compromise or a solution whilst acknowledging each others’ feelings. By understanding the core of the problem and how it affects the other person, you are better equipped to start building bridges with your partner.

Life Supports relationship counselling based in Melbourne

You don’t have to stay in an unhappy relationship; you can do something positive about it. The first step is to start talking again so let’s make that start. Call us on [phone] today. Our Melbourne-based network of Life Supports accredited counsellors are highly experienced in marriage and relationship counselling and can offer professional, unbiased and emotional support to couples going through a relationship crisis. Feel free to take a look at the Life Supports network of Counsellors and Psychologists and if there is one you think you would be most comfortable with, just inform our receptionist when you call and we’ll try to accommodate your request. Life Supports counsellors offer confidential relationship counselling services from offices in all major cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast and many other various local towns and cities through-out Australia.

Relationship Counselling FAQs

It is common for one or two family members to initiate the counselling process, with other family members joining in if and when they are ready. We also provide individual family counselling if you need a non-judgmental, confidential space to explore and address your own family issues. Family counselling is suitable for both small and larger family groups– there are no prerequisites that the entire family needs to be present.

In fact, family counselling can be incredibly effective even if certain family members choose not to participate. Your Life Supports relationship counsellor or psychologist will collaborate with your family to build on relational strengths and encourage change and interpersonal growth opportunities.

Life Supports relationship counselling helps families to:

  • Clearly identify issues affecting each family member
  • Foster inclusiveness and consideration of every family member’s needs
  • Develop clear family goals (e.g. reducing the frequency of conflict)
  • Practice safe, effective ways to address family challenges and grievances
  • Cease engaging in blaming behaviour, by taking responsibility for the family’s welfare as a group
  • Use effective, respectful communication when discussing distressing or challenging issues
  • Break the cycle of family conflict by encouraging new ways of relating
  • Recognise setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning
  • Focus on and celebrate the family’s unique strengths
  • Review progress and maintain improvements

Often couples that are new to the counselling experience are worried that relationship therapy may be biased towards one partner, emotionally confrontational, or that it simply won’t work. To ensure this is not the case, each session is:

  • Tailored to be inclusive of both partners
  • A discreet, nonjudgmental space to unpack your relationship concerns
  • Focused upon giving you an insightful understanding of your individual situation
  • Designed to give you practical tools to address problems and create long-lasting, positive changes
  • Couples and relationship counselling often involves a blend of joint and solo counselling sessions, depending on your personal therapeutic needs. This flexibility allows your counsellor to accurately assess your communication styles, patterns of behaviour and relationship needs as individuals, and as a couple. Our team of relationship counsellors are compassionate, competent and capable of helping you to achieve your relationship goals.

We frequently see clients for individual relationship counselling. Sometimes one partner is reluctant to seek help, or simply unable to attend counselling due to work commitments or geographical distance.

The great news is that individual counselling is just as effective as joint couple counselling when it comes to improving relationship quality. Recent research by clinical psychologist Dr Howard Markman studied 300 married and unmarried couples who attended relationship skills counselling together or individually: results from the study indicated that those who attended counselling individually showed a marked improvement in the quality of their relationships, on par with those who attended counselling with their partner. 

You may be struggling with conflicting thoughts and feelings about your relationship; you might be having difficulty balancing your own needs with the demands of your partner or family. In some cases, you may be experiencing the feelings of depression, anger, anxiety or grief associated with separation or divorce.

Whatever you bring to counselling, your Life Supports relationship specialist will work alongside you to help make sense of your experience, and support you moving forward in a constructive and positive way. For some clients, simply talking through issues can be a helpful process, while others may be looking for specific guidance or strategies to enhance their relationships. Together we will identify the most constructive and useful way that we can support you to make sense of your relationship and bring about positive change in your life.

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