Perinatal Couples Counselling
The transition from focussing solely on the couple relationship to welcoming a baby and becoming partners in parenthood is beautiful, but can also bring with it some unique challenges.
Did you know that according to research by Drs John and Julie Gottman (US marriage and family researchers), a staggering 67% of couples experience relationship difficulties after welcoming a baby, for up to 3 years post-birth?
When you consider issues such as extended sleep deprivation, hormone shifts, body changes and physical recovery, issues with breastfeeding, shared responsibilities of caring for children, balancing career and family life, managing household chores, financial changes and stressors.. it is understandable why this happens.
Whether you are looking to prepare for this life stage from a place of strength, or wanting support to work through some challenges in your relationship, there is never a better time to enhance your relationship and set the tone for your growing family.
Q. What should I expect of perinatal couples counselling?
At your initial session, some time will be spent understanding your agenda and goals for therapy, gathering information about your current relationship and its history, any concerns and difficulties, and each of your attachment histories.
Based on your goals, sessions may involve building a shared understanding of realistic expectations of the changes to come, understanding the common points of tension between couples, and working to set up a foundation for effective conflict management and being on the same team.
Q. How many sessions will we need?
The duration of therapy really depends on your goals. If you are seeking to engage in preparation as a preventative measure to bolster an already healthy relationship, then you may only need 3-4 sessions. If on the other hand you are looking for support to improve a relationship with difficulties, depending on the degree of difficulty, research indicates that Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy usually takes between 8-20 sessions for significant positive (and lasting) change.
Q. When is couples counselling NOT recommended?
There are a few instances where couples counselling would not be appropriate. These instances include:
When there is domestic violence or current abuse in the relationship
When either partner is struggling with a current addiction
When there is an active or ongoing affair that is not welcome by the other partner
For couples therapy to be effective, there needs to be a sense of emotional safety to build upon. In the situations above, the recommendation would be to first seek out individual therapy, and then afterwards consider couples therapy.
Q. Can I access rebates?
Please note that couples therapy is currently not rebatable by Medicare. If you would like to access rebates you can check with your private health insurance provider.