Couples Therapy
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Is your relationship requiring a check-up?
While trying to meet life’s competing demands (work, study, family, social life, health, finances), it’s easy to fall into habits, take shortcuts, make assumptions, and take each other for granted. Over time, couples can find themselves turning away from one another rather than towards connection.
Couples therapy is available at Macquarie Psychology in Hobart with an experienced psychologist offering evidence-based relationship counselling. Sessions focus on improving communication, working through conflict, and supporting meaningful relationship repair in a calm, respectful setting.
What is couples therapy?
Couples therapy offers partners an opportunity to reassess and recalibrate together, creating a renewed focus on what matters most in their relationship now. Turning attention towards the strengths and challenges of a relationship and working towards creating a more loving, respectful and fulfilling partnership can make life’s demands more do-able, together!
What can we expect from couples therapy?
Initial assessment: Initially, couples complete a thorough assessment that explores the reasons for seeking therapy, an oral history is taken, and relationship strengths and problem areas are identified
Individual questionnaires: Individual bio-psycho-social assessments also take place. Each partner completes an individual online questionnaire each (in their own time, which can take up to an hour to complete), known as the Gottman Relationship Check-up, in order for a full assessment and report to be generated.
Feedback and planning: Once the assessment phase is completed, verbal feedback and a full report and therapy planning will take place where we collaborate with couples on the areas of difficulty and a plan of how we might proceed. After the assessment phase, it varies by couple as to how many therapy sessions might be required.
What is the Gottman Method
The Gottman Method is a research-based approach to couples therapy founded by clinical psychologists Drs John and Julie Gottman. Their method is built on 40 years of research and is designed to help teach specific tools to strengthen relationships, to manage conflict productively and to utilise dialogue in situations where couples become ‘gridlocked’ by perpetual issues.
Did you know that the way couples navigate conflict is a key determinant of whether that relationship will succeed longer term (1)? Gottman’s research on couples suggests that most conflicts (69%) are perpetual problems and unresolvable (2). Gottman therapy is designed to assist couples in navigating perpetual problems and be less stuck by them.
Gottman therapy focuses on three main components:
- friendship
- ability to manage conflict, and
- creating shared goals.
Gottman therapy may also be helpful where a betrayal has occurred, or relationship wounds are difficult to overcome. It is effective for both heterosexual and same-sex couples at various stages of a relationship(3).
More information can be found on the Gottman website.
A short, evidence-based video explaining common relationship conflict patterns (Gottman Institute):
What is the fee? Am I covered by Medicare?
Unfortunately, couple distress or discord is not a Medicare-rebated mental health disorder.
Some private health providers will offer a rebate for couples seeing a clinical psychologist. We recommend checking with your private healthcare provider if rebates can be made available.
The fees for couples therapy can be found here: Fee Schedule
A typical couples therapy structure
(Session numbers and pacing vary depending on need)
Duration: 90 Mins
Focus: Both partner attend for initial assessment.
Provided with Gottman Relationship Check-up online questionnaire (subsequent report to be provided)
Duration: 50 Mins
Focus: Each partner attends a 50min session seperately for follow-up assessment.
Duration: 90 Mins
Focus: Both partners attend a feedback session and therapy planning.
Duration: 90 Mins
Focus: Both partnes attend therapy sessions