Step 1a) Joint Intake & Assessment Session

 

The first step in the Couple Therapy Package is a 90 minute joint Intake & Assessment appointment.  In this session you'll each have an opportunity to share about what's brought you to therapy.  I will conduct a thorough intake interview to explore the high's and low's, strengths and challenges of your relationship so far and toward the end of the session I will ask you to engage in a conflict discussion so that I can observe your current conflict styles and whether there is any physiological flooding in either partner during conflict. 

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It's also a great opportunity for us to all meet one another and see whether there is a comfortable fit between us that would lend itself to a productive therapeutic working relationship over the coming 12-18 months.  Yes, that's right!  Couple therapy requires behavioural change, which takes time and deliberate practice.  You can be assured of my ongoing support as you engage in this process of behavioural change and work to achieve your relationship goals over the coming year. 

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It is important to know that there will be no counselling or therapeutic interventions during the intake stage.  This stage is primarily about information gathering and assessment for the purpose of treatment planning.  While this may feel frustrating to some couples who want to jump right in to therapy, it is vitally important to ensure that we identify and prioritise the issues most critical to the relationship and to ensure you get the best outcomes for your significant investment of time and money. 

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At the end of this session you will each be sent a private and confidential link to complete an Enhanced Gottman Relationship Checkup questionnaire. A summary of results will be provided to you at the Joint Feedback & Treatment Planning session.  Note: Your individual results & comments will not be included in the report; rather the report will identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in the relationship using a traffic light system.  

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The fee for this step, including the online questionnaire is $350 payable at the end of the session. 

**This stage can be conducted remotely via Telehealth**

Step 1b) Individual Interviews

 

At the end of the Joint Intake Session, if you feel there is a good fit between us and you want to proceed with the Couple Therapy Package I will schedule two separate 60 minute appointments; one for each partner.  

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During these sessions I will meet with each partner individually to conduct an individual interview.  This is your opportunity to clarify or emphasise anything that was or was not raised in the joint intake session, and to share information about your own personal history, mental health, relationship goals etc.

 

Please note that I abide by a 'no secrets' policy.  This means that whatever is discussed and disclosed during the individual interview is considered to be part of the couple therapy process.  As such, I do not 'keep secrets' from your partner; rather I will discuss with you how we can share all relevant information with your partner during the next joint session.

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The fee for this step is $156 per session, payable at the end of each session.

**This stage can be conducted remotely via Telehealth**

Step 1c) Joint Feedback & Treatment Planning Session

Following the individual interviews we will all meet together again for a second 90 minute joint feedback and treatment planning session.   

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In this session I will provide a summary of feedback and a comprehensive written report highlighting your relationship strengths and your opportunities for growth as a couple.  The report will cover multiple facets of your relationship including friendship, intimacy, emotions, conflict, values, and trust, as well as parenting, housework, finances, individual areas of concern, and more. You'll have an opportunity to review my feedback and the report and to seek and provide clarification until we reach a shared understanding and a set of shared therapeutic goals for the relationship. 

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At the end of this session, we will re-assess your willingness and suitability to move forward with couple therapy and if both parties consent, I will make a recommendation for the number of days of marathon therapy (usually between 2 - 4) and confirmation of how much that will cost. 

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The fee for this step is $234, payable at the end of the session.

**This stage can be conducted via Telehealth**

Included in the Couple Therapy Package are 2, 3 or 4 consecutive full days of couple therapy, creating a bubble away from your everyday life to dedicate to your relationship.  This is a valuable gift to the relationship and it can benefit all couples, even those whose relationships are currently strong and healthy and who want to keep it that way! 

 

Rather than spreading sessions over 10-12 weeks or longer, the marathon format allows us to 'mass' months of therapy into 2, 3 or 4 powerful and transformative days.  Evidence has shown that this massing approach allows couples to generate substantially more momentum and progress toward their relationship goals, and to benefit from their therapeutic gains much faster. 

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The fee for this step is $1,250 per day of marathon therapy, payable in full 48 hours prior to the commencement of Day 1 of marathon therapy (i.e. 2 days of marathon therapy is $2,500; 3 days is $3,750; 4 days is $5,000).

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**This stage is conducted in person at my practice in Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, Queensland**

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Marathon couple therapy becomes even more transformative when accompanied by a series of follow up sessions held progressively further apart (this is called 'fading').  This is Step 3 of my Couple Therapy Package.   

Included in the Couple Therapy Package are 4 x 90 minute follow up therapy sessions held 1 week, 1 month, 6 months & 12 months after your marathon session.  In these follow up sessions we will assess how you're tracking as a couple; what's been working well and which area's of your relationship need further support and intervention. Where further support and intervention is required, it will be provided during these sessions.  

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These follow up sessions play an important role in reinforcing the hard work you've already put in and also in preventing relapse.

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The fee for this step is $234 per session, payable at the end of each session. You also have the option to book another round of marathon therapy (at a cost of $1,250 per day) or additional follow up sessions as required (at a cost of $234 per 90 mins). 

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**Follow up sessions can be conducted remotely via Telehealth**

To round out your Couple Therapy Package, we will conduct a thorough re-assessment and review 18 months after your marathon therapy session.  By this stage you will have invested 25+ hours in face to face therapy, plus many hundreds more putting your new behaviours into practice in your relationship over the past year.  So now we get to see what impact this immense effort has had on the quality of your relationship! 

 

Before the session you will complete a second Enhanced Gottman Relationship Checkup questionnaire online which will allow us to track the degree of change across the areas of friendship, intimacy, emotions, conflict, values, and trust, as well as parenting, housework, finances, individual areas of concern, and more.  

For many couples this is an exciting opportunity to reflect on the progress they have made and celebrate how far their relationship has come in just over 1 year.  As well as reflecting and celebrating, we'll also do some forward planning to ensure your relationship continues to go from strength to strength.  

For others though, the review may feel daunting and scary because despite their best efforts, the relationship has not moved forward in the way they'd hoped, or perhaps other unexpected stressors have put the relationship under additional pressure.  For couples in this situation, we will re-evaluate your relationship goals and discuss your options.  At this point some couples may choose to continue with couple therapy, others may take a break from therapy, others may wish to open a dialogue about re-structuring the relationship or going their separate ways.  There are many options available to couples and I will be here to support you as you re-assess your relationship and contemplate your next steps.

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The fee for this step is $350, payable at the end of the session. 

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**Re-Assessment and Review can be conducted remotely via Telehealth**

Once an initial package of therapy has been completed, you are eligible to book additional 90 min counselling sessions (at a rate of $234 per session) or additional days of marathon therapy (at a rate of $1,250 per day). Some couples like to book a day or two of marathon therapy every year and turn it into a lovely relationship ritual! 

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**Additional 90 minute counselling sessions can be conducted remotely via Telehealth.  Additional days of Marathon Therapy are conducted in person at my practice in Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast, Queensland**