Saving Marriages Since 2014
When things are not perfect in your relationships, it can be daunting to consider help, and scary to admit to friends and family. However, with expert counselling and coaching you can stop fighting and be connected. Be Lovers Again! …Be Best Friends Again …Be Happy Again!
Couples Counselling with Ghita Andersen
Regardless of how long you have been married, or the nature of your marital problems, marriage counselling can offer huge benefits to a married couple. Even when your problems don’t seem that major or significant, marriage counselling can still benefit a couple striving to maintain a successful marriage – in fact, marriage counselling is best commenced before conflict becomes entrenched. Nonetheless, marriage counselling can help to repair damaged marriages and we have many happy stories of couples who have done just that. Testimonials
Many couples decide to come to counselling to learn to deal with conflict and arguments. Common issues include:
How Things Used To Be....
Once upon a time, your significant other was the one person you felt you could trust, depend on and ultimately be 'your' person - your one true love. Courtship can feel like the best thing you have ever experienced in your life, and is often referred to as one of the most exciting times in your life.
Pushing Through Difficult Times
It’s easy to be considerate and loving to your partner when everything is going well, the sun is shining, and employment is high. But when the power bill has not been paid, you’re tired or emotional, and your partner is getting cranky and blaming you for the problems in their life, that is when you get tested. You might not like what you see, and at times you might not feel like you really know this person any more and feel like your world is so small is perhaps impossible to change. These times in your relationship can be very hard, and at times overwhelming emotionally too...
40 Years of Research
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on 40 years of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. The Gottman Method Couples therapy method for example, is a world renowned, successful approach to helping you better manage conflict, deepen your friendship, intimacy and emotional connection and create a rich sense of shared meaning together.
Couples Counselling with Ghita Andersen
Regardless of how long you have been married, or the nature of your marital problems, marriage counselling can offer huge benefits to a married couple. Even when your problems don’t seem that major or significant, marriage counselling can still benefit a couple striving to maintain a successful marriage – in fact, marriage counselling is best commenced before conflict becomes entrenched. Nonetheless, marriage counselling can help to repair damaged marriages and we have many happy stories of couples who have done just that. Testimonials
Many couples decide to come to counselling to learn to deal with conflict and arguments. Common issues include:
- Trust has been compromised in your relationship
- You’re not feeling heard
- You feel unacknowledged or under-appreciated
- You or your partner have become distant or withdrawn, anxious or clingy
- You are trying to repair things after an affair
- You or your partner have lost interest in sex
- The roles you have taken on (spouse, parent, bread winner) are not what you expected
- You’ve lost a sense of identity in the relationship
- Anger or stonewalling have become the predominate way you or your partner communicate
- There is a lot of blame and a lack of responsibility
How Things Used To Be....
Once upon a time, your significant other was the one person you felt you could trust, depend on and ultimately be 'your' person - your one true love. Courtship can feel like the best thing you have ever experienced in your life, and is often referred to as one of the most exciting times in your life.
Pushing Through Difficult Times
It’s easy to be considerate and loving to your partner when everything is going well, the sun is shining, and employment is high. But when the power bill has not been paid, you’re tired or emotional, and your partner is getting cranky and blaming you for the problems in their life, that is when you get tested. You might not like what you see, and at times you might not feel like you really know this person any more and feel like your world is so small is perhaps impossible to change. These times in your relationship can be very hard, and at times overwhelming emotionally too...
40 Years of Research
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on 40 years of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. The Gottman Method Couples therapy method for example, is a world renowned, successful approach to helping you better manage conflict, deepen your friendship, intimacy and emotional connection and create a rich sense of shared meaning together.
★★★★★ Marriage Counselling Testimonial: "We got married! Ghita, thank you so much for what you have done for our family!" Mr & Mrs Lees (Couples Counselling, Gold Coast).
★★★★★ Testimonial: Marriage and Individual Counselling: "My psychologist recommended you as some of her clients had done couples counselling and said that you were very direct and got straight into doing the work of unpacking the issues. I thought that was just what we needed for our situation. We didn't want the type of approach that would take weeks to make any progress. Thank you so much Ghita." - Angela (Couples Counseling: Currumbin).
★★★★★ Feedback Testimonial Marriage Counselling 2022
We had been to Couples Counselling before with another counsellor. We felt we were being sold a package last time rather than doing the work, so we did not achieve much. I was convinced that we were separating and it was too late. This session was very different. Ghita nailed our problem and made us negotiate. After many years of arguing over the same thing, she showed us how to do deals. We should have done a pre-marital agreement long ago. I can see that now. I was of the mindset to leave, but one hour turned it around for us. We negotiated our personal time and even had a contingency plan for when things went wrong. Our homework was to fill in a full agreement covering all the other points we did not cover in session and to stick this on the back of a cupboard door. We both agree this session was nothing like what we expected. Thank you Ghita. - Jessica & Andrew. (Hope Island Gold Coast)
Changing Relationships One Step At a Time
Evidence based methods are the key to effective therapy, whether for individuals or for couples. This means that the therapy you are receiving was tested against alternative methods, preferably in randomized controlled trials.
Methods: Ghita uses a combination of the following evidence-based methods:
First Session Relationship Diagnostic:
The first session is designed to diagnose what is not working in your relationship and to determine whether couples counselling would work for you or whether you are better off with individual sessions.
How to Communicate and Reconnect with Each Other
One issue that couples may bring to marriage counselling is a desire to reconnect and recommit to their marriage. If you have been married for a number of years, it can be challenging to come up with new and innovative ways to reconnect. Over time, we become settled in a rhythm and routine that may eventually become mundane and even boring. Several sessions with a marriage counsellor or psychologist can help a married couple look at each other with fresh eyes.
Ghita can help each partner to learn to more carefully listen to what is being communicated to them, to reflect that message back to their partner and to then carefully proceed to send their own message back to their spouse. This process is called “active listening” and is one of the most effective communication techniques ever taught to couples.
Very often, Ghita will give weekly assignments to be completed between sessions to aid the process towards restored intimacy and reconnection. These assignments can be as simple as having a date night instead of eating at home every evening, or as intimate as asking a couple to restore their physical touch and to spice up their love life. With a new vision of each other and increased feelings of intimacy and emotional commitment, a couple may feel more reconnected to each other and encourage them to recommit to their marriage.
How Long does Therapy Take?
Most couples come for a 4-6 sessions and then book in for top-ups as required.
What if we Have Tried Couples Counselling Before and it Wasn't Successful?
Couples counselling is a process that requires clients to open up and to commit to the proven formulas designed by top researchers in relationships. It does require an open heart and full trust in the professionalism of your therapist. If you don't like their approach or method, you can shop around for a better fit. We understand that it is very 'personal' and it does make people feel vulnerable and uncomfortable - afterall secrets come out and the therapist has to unpack belief systems and often a lot of mistrust.
Furthermore, sometimes, people are not ready to make changes until one person talks about separation. However, you have to understand that a relationship that has broken down over years does not become healed in one session.
'Regular counselling' and trusting your therapist is important. Your counsellor will challenge you on what you bring to the relationship and sometimes this means a reality check. Importantly, if your relationship has gotten to the stage where one or both parties are abusive, couples counselling is not appropriate and you will find individual sessions are more helpful for both of you.
Relationship Repair Workshops
Because we want to get you working as a team, we will help you to understand the relationship patterns underlying your problems. Subsequently, we recommend more than an hour for a workshop. We understand that each couple is unique and so the guidance and coaching will be tailored to your specific challenges and circumstances. Consequently, if your relationship is repairable, you should see progress after each session.
Are You Ready to Become The Couple You Used to be?
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on 40 years of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. There are many happy stories in our Testimonials page...
It takes a lot of courage to book in for Couples Counselling, and we applaud that, but it may be the best investment you ever make in your relationship or family... It's important to remember that there is an initial free 10 minute phone consultation available to help you decide whether couples counselling would be a good fit for you both or whether you would be better off with individual counselling.
About Your Therapist
Ghita Andersen (B.Soc.Sci: Psych & Coun; Grad Cert FDR) is a professionally trained Counsellor and an Federally Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Mediator. Passionate about helping people and regarded as one of the most effective Couples Counsellors on the Gold Coast, Ghita uses a combination of methods designed to help clients to express their emotional needs in a warm, safe, friendly environment. Ghita works out of the Currumbin location only.
It is vital that both parties read the information below before your session. The information in the links tells you what to expect, how long counselling should continue, behaviour rules, and much more..
Recommended Reading Before Booking:
Couples: Please each fill out the intake form and email to Ghita prior to session
Evidence based methods are the key to effective therapy, whether for individuals or for couples. This means that the therapy you are receiving was tested against alternative methods, preferably in randomized controlled trials.
Methods: Ghita uses a combination of the following evidence-based methods:
- Gottman Method - Active Listening Exercises, Love Maps
- Heart Versus Ego - Andersen Method - Are You Acting From Heart or Ego?
- Narrative Therapy - Ideal for second marriages, complex families
- 5 Love Languages: How to speak your lover's love language
First Session Relationship Diagnostic:
The first session is designed to diagnose what is not working in your relationship and to determine whether couples counselling would work for you or whether you are better off with individual sessions.
How to Communicate and Reconnect with Each Other
One issue that couples may bring to marriage counselling is a desire to reconnect and recommit to their marriage. If you have been married for a number of years, it can be challenging to come up with new and innovative ways to reconnect. Over time, we become settled in a rhythm and routine that may eventually become mundane and even boring. Several sessions with a marriage counsellor or psychologist can help a married couple look at each other with fresh eyes.
Ghita can help each partner to learn to more carefully listen to what is being communicated to them, to reflect that message back to their partner and to then carefully proceed to send their own message back to their spouse. This process is called “active listening” and is one of the most effective communication techniques ever taught to couples.
Very often, Ghita will give weekly assignments to be completed between sessions to aid the process towards restored intimacy and reconnection. These assignments can be as simple as having a date night instead of eating at home every evening, or as intimate as asking a couple to restore their physical touch and to spice up their love life. With a new vision of each other and increased feelings of intimacy and emotional commitment, a couple may feel more reconnected to each other and encourage them to recommit to their marriage.
How Long does Therapy Take?
Most couples come for a 4-6 sessions and then book in for top-ups as required.
What if we Have Tried Couples Counselling Before and it Wasn't Successful?
Couples counselling is a process that requires clients to open up and to commit to the proven formulas designed by top researchers in relationships. It does require an open heart and full trust in the professionalism of your therapist. If you don't like their approach or method, you can shop around for a better fit. We understand that it is very 'personal' and it does make people feel vulnerable and uncomfortable - afterall secrets come out and the therapist has to unpack belief systems and often a lot of mistrust.
Furthermore, sometimes, people are not ready to make changes until one person talks about separation. However, you have to understand that a relationship that has broken down over years does not become healed in one session.
'Regular counselling' and trusting your therapist is important. Your counsellor will challenge you on what you bring to the relationship and sometimes this means a reality check. Importantly, if your relationship has gotten to the stage where one or both parties are abusive, couples counselling is not appropriate and you will find individual sessions are more helpful for both of you.
Relationship Repair Workshops
Because we want to get you working as a team, we will help you to understand the relationship patterns underlying your problems. Subsequently, we recommend more than an hour for a workshop. We understand that each couple is unique and so the guidance and coaching will be tailored to your specific challenges and circumstances. Consequently, if your relationship is repairable, you should see progress after each session.
Are You Ready to Become The Couple You Used to be?
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on 40 years of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. There are many happy stories in our Testimonials page...
It takes a lot of courage to book in for Couples Counselling, and we applaud that, but it may be the best investment you ever make in your relationship or family... It's important to remember that there is an initial free 10 minute phone consultation available to help you decide whether couples counselling would be a good fit for you both or whether you would be better off with individual counselling.
About Your Therapist
Ghita Andersen (B.Soc.Sci: Psych & Coun; Grad Cert FDR) is a professionally trained Counsellor and an Federally Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Mediator. Passionate about helping people and regarded as one of the most effective Couples Counsellors on the Gold Coast, Ghita uses a combination of methods designed to help clients to express their emotional needs in a warm, safe, friendly environment. Ghita works out of the Currumbin location only.
It is vital that both parties read the information below before your session. The information in the links tells you what to expect, how long counselling should continue, behaviour rules, and much more..
Recommended Reading Before Booking:
- First Session - What to Expect
- Checklist: 20 Things to Consider Before Booking
- Preparing for Couples Counselling
- Free Ebooks for Couples
- Couples Commitment Quiz
- 24 Hour Cancellation Policy
Couples: Please each fill out the intake form and email to Ghita prior to session
Copyright 2022 Ghita Andersen. Photos by Ghita Andersen and Freepix
