Relationships Counselling

At Drummoyne Counselling we have a strong focus on relationship counselling. The Psychologists at Drummoyne Counselling provide a supportive and unbiased environment to constructively explore your relationship difficulties.

Just like your health or career, relationships need your investment if you are going to enjoy the rewards in the long-term. Developing and maintaining good relationships is essential for your well-being and your quality of life. Whatever your age or experience, relationships will often present new and demanding challenges.

Counselling can be very helpful for people looking to enhance their relationships and to find new ways of handling relationships issues and difficulties. Counselling does not have to be seen as a last resort. It is coaching to help you improve and get the most out of your relationships – enriching your life. We have expertise in six main areas of Relationship Counselling: 

"Invest in your relationships. A strong stable relationship will ensure a good overall quality of life”

What is fulfilling adult relationship?

A good relationship is one in which both people have equal rights, equal opportunities and equal responsibilities. Basically, good relationships are based on each person respecting the other and being able to communicate clearly. Different people have different definitions of what a fulfilling, intimate relationship means for them. Most of us expect a relationship to include:

Common issues we specialize in:

• Dating Anxiety
• Pre-Marriage Counselling
• Couple Distress and Conflict
• First Child Family Strategies
• Poor Communication
• Couple Intimacy and Sexual Difficulties

“We are often stronger in some areas and need to improve on others”

• Affairs
• Jealousy
• Difficulties with Commitment
• Partner with Anxiety and Depression Issues
• Same Sex Relationships Issues
• Effects of IVF on the Couples’ Relationship

What are some of the warning signs?

Noticing early warning signs of relationship breakdown and seeking early professional help can help a couple resolve conflicts quickly and successfully. Some early warning signs are:

• Recurring arguments that are never resolved
• Feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness
• Complaints of loss of feeling- one or both of the partners speak of no longer being in love
• Lack of intimacy
• Abandonment of joint activities- living parallel lives
• Pre-occupation with interests and activities outside the relationship
• Increased fatigue and reduced ability to meet responsibilities at work
• Arguments over parenting

The emotional impact of separation can be intense. Separation can bring with it lots of highs and lows. Every person who is involved in separation experiences it differently. The one who is ‘left’ may have different feelings to the one who did the ‘leaving’ or to those who mutually agree to end the relationship. A person separating may go through the following five stages of separation (not necessarily in this order):

“It is normal and important to work through these stages to get to a more stable place”

If separation is managed well between the parents, it doesn’t have to be harmful for children in the long run. With the right support, most parents can find the way to build a secure base for their children after separation. Children can cope with conflict between parents so long as: 

 
Research shows that conflict between parents that goes on and doesn’t get resolved is very hard on children and teenagers and can affect the way they develop in the following ways:

• Lack of ability to trust
• Poor attachment to their parents
• Lack of self-belief and confidence
• Being overwhelmed by their feelings
• Showing distress in bad behavior
• Trouble making and keeping friends
• Do not perform as well in school
• Troubled adult relationships

According to research on long-term relationships, a third of marriages involve at least one person who has been married before. People re-partnering are sometimes more aware of the difficulties in establishing a successful relationship and can be more committed to making the partnership work. However, sometimes if the residual issues from the previous relationship were not resolved, it can be helpful for couples to work through issues with a Psychologist to build their new relationship.

“Leaving your old baggage behind - to ensure happiness and love in your new relationship, you are required to break your old patterns”

Being a good parent and happy family unit rarely means not having any issues, but rather a willingness to develop and implement healthy strategies to make the family function better. We understand that issues with one parent or children affect the whole family unit.

“In family therapy, an experienced therapist will facilitate good family communication skills and behavioral change that will realign the family system in a more functional way.”

• Parenting Children and Adolescents
• Enhancing Communication Skills with your Children
• Learning Collaborative Parenting Skills
• Setting Boundaries with your Children

Living in a step-family can sometimes be very challenging, particularly when children and parents are not ready and unaware of what to expect. There will be more changes as new members join the family and as new relationships start to develop. This is why it is very important to have good communication about co-parenting. 

 *For further information about Relationship Issues please refer to the links on our home page.