Before Booking Checklist

Before Booking: Things to Consider Checklist

STRAIGHT TALK WITH GHITA
10 Points to consider before booking:

Is Couples Counselling is the best course of action? Couples Counselling requires calmness, commitment and cooperation. Couples Counselling is not appropriate for abusive relationships. Make sure you are both 100% invested in saving your relationship, because if one partner is likely to walk away before your session, the standard cancellation policy for therapists is between 24 hours and 48 hours, so this may mean that you will lose your deposit. If you are unsure of your partner's level of commitment, then book in for individual counselling instead. *However, be aware that once you have seen a counsellor by yourself, the same counsellor may not see you as a couple if you have blamed the other party to the point where the counsellor is unable to maintain non-bias. Therefore, try to see a counsellor as a couple first.
What is your situation? Do you need an intensive workshop, weekly sessions or a retreat? Remember that counsellors are not magicians. A one hour intro session is only long enough to get background history from you both and may not have time for any exercises. For the first session, two hours is recommended. If you have already separated, it is likely that you will need a retreat to work through a few issues in order to reconcile.
Urgency and Rapid Results: How fast do you want to make progress? Gold Coast couples who are time poor and don't want to take weeks to see results will often book in for a retreat: Package One: One Day Saturday Retreat (5.5 hours) | Package Five: Couples in Crisis Two Day Marathon ( (11 hours) | Package Six: Couples in Crisis Intensive One Day Retreat (6.5 hours)
What if one of you isn’t sure about therapy to begin with? Hopefully you’re both invested in therapy, but chances are, one of you is going to be more into it than the other. (THIS IS NORMAL!) When one person wants to go more than the other, it’s very important that they let their partner know how much they appreciate their willingness to go. In fact, make it clear that it’s an opportunity for your partner to say what’s on their mind and express how they’re feeling - it’s not just a one-way street. As for drawing out the less-enthusiastic party - remember, a good counsellor is trained to keep things light and blame free. Your goal is to get them in the door, and then we take over. If they are still worried ask them what their concerns are? Do they want to interview a few therapists personally? Do you have a question regarding our services? Try our 10 min FREE Introductory Consultation. If you’ve got any questions for Ghita before committing to a session or a package, please feel free to give Ghita a call or request a Call-Back via text on 0439 888 070. And it is okay for you both to have a phone chat with Ghita before booking, so you know what to expect.
Can I do Individual and Relationship Counselling with the same Counsellor?
Yes, you can as long as you are improving yourself for the benefits of the relationship. In order for your counsellor to remain fair and have an unbiased approach please consider the following: If one partner uses individual counselling as a blaming session then this can erode work done in couples therapy and the counsellor may advise the client to use another therapist for couples therapy.

Confidentiality and Trust: Couples' therapy relies on open communication and trust between partners. If the same therapist is also handling individual sessions, it can lead to concerns about confidentiality and privacy. The therapist needs a clear understanding of whether it is okay to share personal info in joint sessions.
Schedule one initial phone call with the therapist. Learn about each therapist’s approach to couples counselling and decide which appeals to both of you. Read therapist biographies, testimonials and watch videos if they have any: A therapist’s professional statement and video can give you a helpful sense of the therapist’s demeanor, and how they speak. A therapist must be friendly, unbiased and interested in getting results. Tip: The best Couples Counsellors are also Family Dispute Mediators. Psychologists are not necessarily trained in couples therapy. Ghita's Youtube Videos | Ghita's Bio | Ghita's LinkedIn | Testimonials and Reviews
Do you need a babysitter? Consider the best times for your family and the time frame of getting a sitter and getting to and from the appointment. Please understand that professional therapists DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN IN ANY SESSIONS for the reasons of disruption to the therapeutic process. Please organise a baby-sitter well in advance.
Virtual / Video Sessions: Please note that Ghita offers VIDEO sessions for 1.5 hours. Note that clients need to be in the same location so that Ghita can read your body language and facilitate couples exercises with you. (Ghita conceded that having sessions from two different locations makes it hard to control the environments and attention, so does not believe it to be the best value.)
Prepare to talk about your feelings: Expect to get uncomfortable in session discussing personal matters and things you avoid talking about. In fact, most people get triggered at some point. (This is normal.) Many couples who go to counselling together are, understandably, anxious about their first appointment. After all, you may be opening up about certain challenges and intimate issues that you and your partner have only ever spoken about to each other. In some cases, you might be sharing things you’ve never even told your partner. It’s completely normal – common, actually – to feel anxious about embarking on this new experience. Don’t worry if one (or both) of you is still hesitant on the day of your apppointment. Uncertainty makes many people anxious and sometimes one person may expect to feel ambushed. Don't worry. We get this all the time. We will do our best to make you feel calm and hopeful. Ghita Therapy is a home based business in Currumbin and there are wonderful relaxing views of Currumbin Creek (And did I mention that she has the best Italian coffee?).
Check out our packages and Monthly Promo Code to help your budget!

Tip: Book in for face to face counselling for at least your first session because counsellors can't read the body language between you on a small screen and it is harder to create rapport. Plus, it is easier to be distracted by the home environment and children may overhear your story. Your session value will be half what it is in person.
Tip: Check the fees before booking. Ghita Therapy fees are $220 per hour for couples. Expect to pay between $180 and $450 in Queensland for other therapists. (Alas, Medicare does not subsidise Relationship Counselling. Note: This is a specialist field and most psychologists are not trained in couples counselling.)

Ghita has helped thousands of couples over the last decade and helps Australian couples working interstate and overseas via online sessions.

Check availability anytime on our booking system, or call Ghita on 0439 888 070 to be assured that you are selecting the right program or package.

Recommended First Session: Couples Intensive: 2 Hours
Get excited about your all new relationship!

Health Funds:
Whether your health fund rebates counselling is up to them. Your Private Health provider is the best place to seek this information, as it depends both on your exact policy type and the Health Fund themselves.

Rebates may be available for members of Medibank, Bupa, Police Health, St Luke’s, CUA Health, Phoenix Health Fund and Emergency Services. However, as things change so often please check with your provider before booking. We no longer have any particular registrations with health Funds.

Some private funds rebate Couples Counselling (Item #300) List. Therefore it is worth checking with your provider. You can ask us for a specific type of invoice.

While Ghita is proficient at many Marriage Counselling methods and concepts, she does not claim to have certification in all methods. Please see our Disclaimer