Couples Counselling

What is Couples Counselling and Who is it For?

Couples counselling is a form of psychotherapy designed to help partners identify and resolve conflict, rebuild connection, and develop healthier communication patterns.

It is suitable for couples at any stage, whether you are navigating a specific crisis, such as infidelity, managing long-term distance and disconnection, or simply want to strengthen a relationship or marriage that is already functioning well.

At Breathe Counselling, sessions are led by accredited counsellors trained in evidence-based approaches, including the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Sessions are available face-to-face in Perth and online couples counselling across Australia.

Marriage and Couples Counselling Perth

Our relationships are the most important thing in the world. At the pinnacle of all relationships is the one we have with our partner. When this relationship is challenging, everything is affected.

We usually try to fix our relationship issues ourselves, but often find that we can’t seem to succeed at this and feel powerless in our ability to change things. We can find ourselves spiralling downwards into perpetual negative cycles that get harder and harder to resolve.

At Breathe Counselling, our relationship counsellors can work with you to break that cycle.

Why Couples Counselling?

• Are you experiencing perpetual conflict over the same issues?
• Are you experiencing an escalation in your fights?
• Are you experiencing more and more distance between each other?
• Are you unable to discuss your concerns about the relationship without ensuing conflict?
• Are you having sex less or not at all?
• Are you spending little or no time together?
• Are you considering a romantic relationship outside of your relationship with your partner?

If any of these resonate, you are not alone, and these patterns are precisely what couples counselling is designed to address. Research published by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) indicates that over 97% of couples surveyed reported their therapy as helpful, with 93% reporting improved relationship skills.
Early intervention consistently produces better outcomes.

What Can Couples Counselling Actually Help With?

The scope of couples counselling extends well beyond conflict resolution. Depending on the therapeutic approach used, couples often experience meaningful shifts in areas they did not expect.

It can help couples:

• Develop communication skills that reduce defensiveness and unnecessary conflict
• Better understand the struggles, challenges, needs and fears of each other
• Learn how to manage conflict without compromising honesty — core skills from the Gottman Method
• Build emotional safety so both partners feel secure enough to be vulnerable
• Address how substance use or behavioural patterns (such as pornography use) affect relational trust
• Rebuild physical and emotional intimacy using evidence-based reconnection techniques
• Establish mutual, clearly understood boundaries that both partners respect
• Navigate major life transitions like parenthood, career change, empty nest, or retirement as a united team
• Explore sexual concerns in a safe, non-judgmental space with a clinically trained counsellor
• Process the emotional impact of infidelity and rebuild trust through structured, evidence-based repair work

What Does the Relationship Counselling Process Look Like?

Many couples come to their first session unsure of what to expect, or worried that the counsellor will take sides. At Breathe, our counsellors hold both partners with equal care. There is no blame agenda. The goal is understanding, not judgment.

Here is how a typical course of couples counselling unfolds:

• 1. Initial Assessment (Sessions 1–2) Your counsellor will invite each partner to share their individual perspective on the relationship. This may include completing the Gottman Relationship Checkup – a validated online assessment that provides detailed insight into relationship strengths and areas for growth.
  2. Pattern Identification Together, you and your counsellor will identify the underlying cycles driving repeated conflict, the pursuer/withdrawer dynamic, contempt patterns, or unspoken grief that has accumulated over time.
  3. Goal Setting & Tailored Plan A personalised therapy plan is developed collaboratively, aligned with what you want from the relationship. Goals are reviewed and adjusted throughout the process.
  4. Ongoing Sessions Sessions typically run 50–60 minutes. Frequency is usually weekly or fortnightly, depending on your circumstances and goals.
  5. Review & Consolidation Progress is reviewed regularly. Many couples report meaningful change within 8–12 sessions, though this varies significantly depending on presenting issues

Which Therapeutic Approaches Do Our Couples Counsellors Use?

Our counsellors draw on a range of evidence-based modalities, selected based on what will be most effective for each couple’s unique situation.

Can Couples Counselling Work Online?

Yes, and for many couples, online delivery is not just a compromise; it is genuinely preferable. Research published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy supports the clinical effectiveness of online couples therapy, with outcomes comparable to in-person delivery for most presenting issues.

Our telehealth programme allows couples across Melbourne, regional Victoria, and anywhere in Australia to access the same quality of care as our Perth-based clients.

Common reasons couples choose online sessions include:

• Conflicting work schedules that make in-person attendance difficult
• Long wait times at local clinics (inner Melbourne suburbs often have 6–10 week wait times for in-person couples therapy)
• Preference for privacy, attending from home rather than a recognisable local clinic
• One partner travelling interstate or working remotely
• Living in a regional area with limited local access to relationship counsellors

About Breathe Counselling

Breathe Counselling is a collective of accredited counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists with specialist training in relationship and couples therapy. Our practitioners hold registrations with recognised professional bodies, including the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), PACFA, AASW, and CCAA.

All Breathe counsellors receive regular clinical supervision (both internal peer supervision and external independent oversight), ensuring accountability, ethical practice, and continuous professional growth. We do not operate on a “next available” model. We match each couple with the counsellor whose therapeutic style, experience, and approach best fit your specific needs.

Couples counselling is available face-to-face across Perth locations and online Australia-wide via our telehealth programme, using clinical-grade encrypted video technology that meets the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Australian Privacy Principles.

Whether you are in Perth, Melbourne, or anywhere in Australia, Breathe Counselling is here. Book your first session today via secure telehealth or in person.