Individual Relationship Support
Relationships can be complex, and sometimes you may find yourself wanting to better understand the dynamics at play—whether you’re facing specific challenges or simply wish to strengthen your connection with your partner. Individual counselling offers a safe and confidential space to explore your feelings, thoughts, and patterns within your relationship.
While attending therapy together can be very helpful, it’s not always practical or comfortable for both partners to attend at the same time. Individual support can stand alone or complement couples therapy, especially if one partner needs deeper work on personal challenges that affect the relationship. Whether you’re navigating conflict, communication difficulties, destructive patterns, or simply want to grow emotionally and relationally, individual counselling can provide you with insight and practical tools to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
"Difficult relationships often reveal the areas where healing is most needed—and where change can begin."
Individual Relationship Support
How can individual counselling help me understand and improve my relationship?
Individual counselling offers a focused space to explore your role within your relationship, helping you understand your emotional responses, communication patterns, and the relational dynamics that may be contributing to tension, disconnection, or unmet needs. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit—many people seek support simply to grow in self-awareness and build stronger, more secure relationships.
If you're experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or stress, these can have a significant impact on how you relate to your partner. As a registered psychologist, I can integrate evidence-based mental health treatment alongside relationship-focused support. This means we can address your emotional wellbeing while also exploring how those issues may be shaping your interactions, reactions, and ability to connect. Supporting your mental health often brings greater clarity and balance to your relationship, equipping you with both insight and practical strategies to move forward with more confidence and emotional safety.
Can I seek support for non-romantic relationships—like those with parents, adult children, or other family members?
Absolutely. Counselling is often incredibly helpful for understanding and improving intergenerational or family relationships, especially those that feel stuck, painful, or confusing. You may be trying to heal from past hurt, develop a healthier relationship with an adult child or parent, or learn to set clearer boundaries with a family member. These relationships are deeply emotional and often tied to longstanding patterns. We can explore these dynamics together, understand what’s keeping you stuck, and support you in making choices that promote emotional safety, clarity, and healthier connection.
I’m attending couples or family counselling, but I feel I need additional individual support. Can I work with you alongside that?
Yes. It’s not uncommon for people involved in couples or family therapy to also benefit from individual counselling. Sometimes personal issues—such as trauma, anxiety, or emotional triggers—need more focused attention than joint sessions allow. Individual counselling offers a safe space to reflect on your own experiences, clarify your needs, and explore what’s being stirred up by the work you’re doing in therapy with others. This personal insight can complement your relational work and support your overall emotional wellbeing.
I want to strengthen a relationship, but the other person isn’t open to counselling. Can individual work still help?
Absolutely. You can still experience meaningful change in your relationships even if the other person isn’t attending therapy. Individual counselling helps you reflect on how you communicate, respond to stress or conflict, and relate to others. Through this process, you’ll develop insight, emotional regulation, and more effective relational skills.
In some cases, your growth may shift the dynamic between you and the other person. In others, it may help you accept what can’t be changed and respond with clearer boundaries and greater self-respect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not usually. However, with your written consent, I can communicate with your couples therapist in situations where it may be beneficial—particularly if there are complex mental health concerns or issues such as domestic and family violence. Any communication would be limited, respectful of confidentiality, and only with your agreement.
Yes. These thoughts can be distressing and confusing. Individual counselling offers a private, non-judgmental space to explore what’s happening and why, including unmet emotional needs, dissatisfaction, or relational patterns. Gaining insight can help you make more conscious and values-aligned decisions about how to move forward.
Yes. Counselling can support you in working through what’s happened, understanding your behaviour, and preparing to have honest, respectful conversations with your partner. While couples therapy can be another way to approach this, individual work can be a helpful first step to build clarity and emotional readiness.
Yes. If you're stuck replaying a painful event or feel emotionally overwhelmed by something that’s happened in your relationship, counselling can help you process it in a safe and structured way. We may explore the emotional impact, address trauma responses, and support you in finding meaning, stability, and ways to heal. It is worth considering if couples therapy may be a good approach to seek resolution and healing together, and we can discuss this at the first session if you are unsure of which approach you would like to take.
Online counselling is held over secure video, and many people find it just as effective as in-person sessions. It offers flexibility, convenience, and privacy—especially helpful if you're juggling work, parenting, or living in a rural area. Many clients appreciate being in a familiar environment where they can feel comfortable opening up.
Yes. While I don’t provide biblical counselling, I understand that relationship struggles can deeply affect your faith. I offer a respectful space where we can explore your spiritual concerns and how your Christian or religious beliefs or values are influencing your emotional experience, decisions, or healing process.
Yes, Medicare rebates are available for individual therapy sessions with a generally registered psychologist if you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. Eligibility and referral are at your GP’s discretion. As of 1 July 2025, the Medicare rebate for a 50-minute session with a general psychologist is $98.97. Private health rebates can also often be claimed in addiiton to the ten sessions available through Medicare depending on your level of cover.
Please note that Medicare rebates do not apply to couples therapy. However, private health insurance rebates may be available for both individual and couples therapy, depending on your level of cover. It's best to check with your insurer to confirm your entitlements.
