'Ghita was absolutely warm and welcoming, would definitely recommend her intensive session to begin with. It has saved our marriage.' - Nicole
Couples in Crisis
A Couples Intensive Session (2 hours) is recommended if you are noticing that your communication is less than perfect. Have a chat to Ghita before booking to help you to decide the best step forward. It helps if you do not downplay what is occurring within your relationship. It is also a good idea to both have a chat to Ghita to make sure that you understand the Ground Rules for Couples Counselling and get a feel for whether she would be the right fit for you both. There are also videos on youtube to watch before calling or asking for a call-back.
Challenging Behaviours
Couples counselling isn’t a magic cure. It requires an investment of honesty, courage, and humility. Often, couples come into counselling blaming one another for their difficulties. (It’s not unusual for couples to start arguing in front of the counsellor.) Subsequently, couples counsellors are not passive. They will intervene to focus the session on insight and action. For you and your partner, this often involves letting go of fixed perspectives and stepping back to see the process of how you interact.
Importantly, Couples counselling is not a place to avoid emotions - so it is not a place for someone with anger issues or addictions. Ghita is there to help you to explore your feelings and to find different perspectives to make better decisions on what you are able and willing to change. It is guaranteed that you will be challenged and triggered at some point.
When Will Couples Counselling Not Work?
Couples therapy usually doesn’t work when there is:
Packages May Not be Suitable if You are in Crisis
Please note that packages are unsuitable if one party is deciding whether to leave or not. This is due to the 7 day cancellation policy on packages. Cancellation Policies. If your partner is undecided about couples counselling please do not book with the hope that they will change their mind. Normal sessions have a 24 hour cancellation policy and you may lose your deposit. Please have a chat with Ghita before committing to booking a session. All sessions with Ghita must be booked on the booking portal due to client's agreeing to the terms of privacy, nil domestic violence and our cancellation policy.
A Toxic Relationship
Couples Counselling requires calmness, commitment and cooperation. Sometimes, people who are prone to anger can turn on the counsellor when they are reality checked, or the counsellor suspects aggression from one party and they are challenged on their honesty. This can result in verbal abuse and threats towards the counsellor, and counsellors deserve a peaceful workplace and to maintain their reputation for being a helper. If your relationship is abusive or one party has an addiction, then we recommend Individual Counselling instead. Is my Relationship Toxic?
5 Ways to Help Your Marriage Using Individual Counselling:
If your partner refuses to attend marriage counselling sessions, you can still attend individual sessions. It's more challenging to mend a relationship this way, but you can benefit by learning more about your own reactions and behaviour.
Endings:
Sometimes, as a result of couples counselling clients decide to end their relationship. However, if your counsellor recommends that you separate, please understand that they don’t say it lightly. It is not something that they will say unless they are sure that it is more damaging to continue. If you feel that there is an error, you are entitled to a second opinion and are welcome to try another service.
Recommended Sessions:
50 Years of Marriage and Relationship Research
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on half a century of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. Renowned for being one of the top Couples Counsellors on the Gold Coast, Ghita has combined a selection of the best approaches to help couples to successfully manage conflict, deepen friendship, intimacy and emotional connection and create a rich sense of shared meaning together.
Do you have a question for Ghita? Text for a Complimentary 10 Minute Call-Back on 0439 888 070.
More information:
Challenging Behaviours
Couples counselling isn’t a magic cure. It requires an investment of honesty, courage, and humility. Often, couples come into counselling blaming one another for their difficulties. (It’s not unusual for couples to start arguing in front of the counsellor.) Subsequently, couples counsellors are not passive. They will intervene to focus the session on insight and action. For you and your partner, this often involves letting go of fixed perspectives and stepping back to see the process of how you interact.
Importantly, Couples counselling is not a place to avoid emotions - so it is not a place for someone with anger issues or addictions. Ghita is there to help you to explore your feelings and to find different perspectives to make better decisions on what you are able and willing to change. It is guaranteed that you will be challenged and triggered at some point.
When Will Couples Counselling Not Work?
Couples therapy usually doesn’t work when there is:
- A history of abuse or domestic violence between partners (can include emotional, physical, financial, serious verbal or sexual abuse).
- Individual trauma from childhood creating triggers. Active or untreated mental illness or addiction with one (or both) partners. (Recommend individual therapy before couples therapy)
- Active Affair: One or both parties are engaged in infidelity and lack the motivation to give those outside relationships up for the good of the primary relationship.
- One or both parties have already made the decision to separate or divorce.
Packages May Not be Suitable if You are in Crisis
Please note that packages are unsuitable if one party is deciding whether to leave or not. This is due to the 7 day cancellation policy on packages. Cancellation Policies. If your partner is undecided about couples counselling please do not book with the hope that they will change their mind. Normal sessions have a 24 hour cancellation policy and you may lose your deposit. Please have a chat with Ghita before committing to booking a session. All sessions with Ghita must be booked on the booking portal due to client's agreeing to the terms of privacy, nil domestic violence and our cancellation policy.
A Toxic Relationship
Couples Counselling requires calmness, commitment and cooperation. Sometimes, people who are prone to anger can turn on the counsellor when they are reality checked, or the counsellor suspects aggression from one party and they are challenged on their honesty. This can result in verbal abuse and threats towards the counsellor, and counsellors deserve a peaceful workplace and to maintain their reputation for being a helper. If your relationship is abusive or one party has an addiction, then we recommend Individual Counselling instead. Is my Relationship Toxic?
5 Ways to Help Your Marriage Using Individual Counselling:
If your partner refuses to attend marriage counselling sessions, you can still attend individual sessions. It's more challenging to mend a relationship this way, but you can benefit by learning more about your own reactions and behaviour.
- Be Honest About Your Own Emotions in order to comprehend why you feel the way you feel and how you can self-regulate/ gain control over those emotions.
- Examine ANGER ISSUES, Mistrust, Childhood Events, Self-Esteem Issues that are triggered by your partner. How can you work on yourself to improve your interactions with others, instead of allowing your inner-critic to sabotage your relationships. Would you like to try individual counselling or NLP?
- Communication Style: How is your communication style hampering your relationship? Could you deliver your phrases better? Do you state your needs in a positive or negative way?
- Understand your Partner's Love Language and your own. This goes a long way to understand how to love each other and get brownie points. [Book: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman]
- Expectations of Partner Roles: Is your expectation of your partner based on your parent's traditional roles? Is it reasonable? It is always a good idea to examine and be honest about what you expect of your partner (in terms of spouse or parental roles) and then compare these to what is normal in the modern era.
Endings:
Sometimes, as a result of couples counselling clients decide to end their relationship. However, if your counsellor recommends that you separate, please understand that they don’t say it lightly. It is not something that they will say unless they are sure that it is more damaging to continue. If you feel that there is an error, you are entitled to a second opinion and are welcome to try another service.
Recommended Sessions:
- Assessment Phase: Minimum of two hours for a diagnostic and possibly individual sessions
- Treatment Phase: 5 - 10 hour long session are recommended weekly to fortnightly until the relationship is showing improvement
- Maintenance & Relapse Prevention Phase: As required. Many couples will check-in twice a year to prevent sliding back into old patterns.
50 Years of Marriage and Relationship Research
Marriage or Couples Counselling is a process based on half a century of research, that has been proven, time and again, to have been a lifesaver for many relationships. Renowned for being one of the top Couples Counsellors on the Gold Coast, Ghita has combined a selection of the best approaches to help couples to successfully manage conflict, deepen friendship, intimacy and emotional connection and create a rich sense of shared meaning together.
Do you have a question for Ghita? Text for a Complimentary 10 Minute Call-Back on 0439 888 070.
More information:
Copyright 2025 Ghita Andersen