Superior Marriage Counselling

About Superior Marriage Counselling

Superior Marriage Counselling provides services like Pre-marital counselling, Marriage counselling, Couples counselling, Relationship counselling, Communication counselling and Family counselling. Helps you overcome problems and finds a way for you.

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Pre-marital Counselling
Marriage counselling may be pertinent before rings and vows are even exchanged!

Although co-habitation is on the increase in Australia, it remains a fact that many couples engaged to be married even when they have been living together for many years are not fully aware of the issues and challenges that married couples will inevitably face. This can then lead to problems down the road, where these couples are not prepared for the compromises that are necessary to make a marriage work.

It is important to understand that counselling does not mark a couple as defective, or “less in love” than other couples who forego it. Rather, think of premarital counselling as a ‘training course’, to prepare engaged couples for a long and happy life together! In this counselling, I discuss and advise clients on what issues to expect, how problems can be avoided where possible, and how to best deal with the various inevitability of married life.

Marriage counselling:
Love, while of course vital, is not of itself sufficient to ensure a happy marriage. Many couples who are unprepared for the realities of married life are disappointed, even when they have been together for many years: “But we love each other, why is it this hard?” In the worst cases, constant frustration can lead to alienation, and eventually to separation or divorce.

Of course, all couples face challenges and obstacles such as differences in their value system, jealousy/suspicion, and arguments over finances. Where these problems occur simultaneously and the couple is not prepared, they can cause deterioration of a marriage and lead to one or both partners walking away.

However, divorce is not the answer! In the vast majority of cases, simply learning to communicate and respect each other is sufficient to avoid the extreme of alienation. My counselling in this area addresses the common pitfalls of marriage and particular issues faced by my clients, and works through them to rebuild the foundations of a healthy marriage.

Especially where children are involved, it is always better to mend it than end it!

Partnership counselling:
Co-habitation (de-facto relationships) is on the rise in Australia. In many cases such couples also have children, which carries with it many of the responsibilities of marriage. However, by virtue of the fact that no vows have been exchanged, many such couples are not fully aware of their responsibilities and live relatively independent of each other. This can be a source of frustration and even relationship breakdown.

In partnership counselling, we focus on core responsibilities and values and discuss paths to a harmonious life as a couple. As with all things in life, nothing is easy but with the right attitude and approach, co-habiting couples can achieve a relationship every bit as fulfilling and rewarding as their married counterparts.

Couples Counselling:
The journey to happiness is paved with obstacles, and even before progressing to co-habitation or marriage some couples find themselves experiencing difficulties. Alternatively, a couple may be considering taking their relationship to the next level, and wisely wish to be prepared.

In either case, allow me to be of assistance. In counselling I discuss with importance of respect, compromise, love and mutual aid as ingredients to a successful relationship, as well as winning strategies for achieving these goals. We also cover the difficulties and opportunities one encounters when couples move in together, to ensure that couples are fully prepared for the exciting times that lie ahead.

Relationship counselling:
It goes without saying that not all of our important relationships are romantic. Our relationships with family and friends also provide us with support, love, respect, comfort and friendship: as the famous John Donne saying goes, ‘no man is an island, entire of itself’.

However, sometimes these relationships can be strained by factors such as poor communication, arguments over household tasks, financial issues, career issues, lifestyle changes and split loyalties. At times like this one may feel isolated, misunderstood and unappreciated.

In this counselling I will help you to face issues such as the above, as well as the tools needed to resolve them. Throughout the process, psychological aids such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and solutions focused therapy may also be employed as the situation demands.

Communication counselling:
As I often say, effective communication is a cornerstone to any successful relationship. In this counselling I assist clients in understanding the importance and methods of communication in all personal, professional and business relationships.

Primary amongst the required skills is active listening, which simply means using a set of specific communications skills to allow one to focus completely on another person. The goal is to hear, see, feel and understand as much as possible the other person’s viewpoint, whether that person is a friend, partner, child or customer.

Other skills covered in this counselling are reflecting, responding, paraphrasing and straight-talking.

Family counselling:
Today’s families are complex, and keeping family relationships on track is not always easy. Events such as separation, divorce and re-marriage, financial problems, childcare issues, behavioural problems with family members, values dissonance and bad communication between family members are all potential sources of major familial conflict.

In this counselling I help clients to understand the right way to face any and all of the above problems, regardless of their background or creed. Handling of responsibilities and conflict resolution techniques are key points covered.

FAQS

What sort of problems and issues does a counsellor deal with?
Counsellors are professionals trained to work with normal people with everyday problems/issues. They are struggling to find a solution to or just need to chat to someone completely objective to get some clarity. There is no problem too small if it is an issue to you and you would like some help. Counsellors can help you with more serious problems too and if I am not qualified to help you with your particular need, I will help you find a suitable professional who can.

How long is a counselling session?
The first session generally runs from 1-2 hours. Sessions after that are 1 hour.

How many sessions are usually required?
Depending on the issue you want to address, counselling usually takes from 1-6 sessions. Throughout the counselling process we review this together to work out the best fit for you. There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions. You can attend, it simply depends on your needs at the time. Some people who just want to gain some clarity on personal issues attend a single session for this, others who enjoy the direction counselling provides them continue longer.

Is this session confidential?
Yes. Everything we talk about during counselling is completely private and confidential. The details will not be released to anyone else unless a referral is needed to another service and you agree. The only exceptions to this are legal requirements. If I believe you are an immediate danger to yourself or someone else, then the appropriate authorities need to be notified for your safety. Please call me if you would like information about this.

Can I contact the counsellor between sessions?
Yes. I welcome your calls in between sessions if you need to address something immediately. Whilst I don’t provide a telephone counselling service in itself, I am happy to answer any queries or questions you may have.

How long does it take to get an appointment?
I try wherever possible to meet with you within a week. Sometimes for after hours appointments it can take up to 2 weeks. If you feel your needs are urgent please call me and we’ll see what we can work out. Sometimes I can help you over the phone until we are able to arrange an appointment.

Can the counsellor visit us in our home or office?
Yes. In fact this is one of the main benefits Superior Marriage Counselling offers you. It is particularly useful for people who would like an evening appointment when young children are asleep.

What can I expect at the counselling session?
Some people who have never attended counselling before or who have perhaps had a counselling experience find it a little daunting. I offer a very relaxed atmosphere where we sit and chat about you and the goals that you want to achieve. We will work out a process of home tasks for you to work on to achieve these changes and at each following session we will review this progress.

You can talk to me about anything you want to and there is no judgement on your life and decisions. It is your life and your choice to set the goals you want to achieve. I am simply there to help you clarify your issues and to provide support and direction to help make changes you want to make.

At every session we will also review together whether you need to attend more sessions.

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