Tralee Couples Counselling

Couples, marriage and relationship counselling with Full Life Therapy, helps committed couples recognize and resolve conflict, improve and strengthen their relationship. We help you to think through and work with the issues arising towards making thoughtful decisions to strengthen and rebuild relationships.

Couples counselling is often short term and typically includes both partners. At times, each partner works with a therapist individually at first, then to work together in couples sessions. The specific therapy method depends on a couples’ situation and their needs.

When do couples need counselling?

Couples counselling helps people who are in intimate relationships. 

Some couples want to strengthen good relationships to make their relationship even stronger. Maybe one of the partners is noticing that they need help before things get serious, out of hand or communication ceases. Others are stuck in a loop of the same fights about the same things over and over again.

Pre-marriage counselling is often overlooked and couples find they gain a much deeper understanding of each other before marriage by attending a few sessions. This builds a firm foundation for couples considering a lifetime commitment.

Our client couples develop understanding about each others differences and similarities, strengths and weaknesses. They learn helpful skills to strengthen communication, build intimacy in relationship, gain understanding about personality strengths and weaknesses plus learn each others love language - It makes all the difference.

For couples in acute distress, counselling is useful for specific issues, including:

• Communication problems

• Fighting

• Grief/loss

• Sexual difficulties

• Parenting differences

• Mental health struggles

• Conflicts about child rearing

• Addiction: alcoholism, drug dependency, gambling

• Financial difficulties

• Anger

• Infidelity

• Loss of trust

• Blending families

What you can expect

Couples counselling works well when there is an individual session first (often, but not always) and then the couple comes together for joint therapy sessions. Working with our therapists, you'll learn skills to solidify your relationship, such as:

• Open, honest communication

• Problem-solving

• Fighting fair

• How to discuss issues, differences or trouble spots rationally

• Resolving conflict

You'll look at the good and challenging parts of your relationship as you pinpoint and better understand the sources of your conflicts. Together you'll practise identify triggers and obstacles without blame and start to see how things can be improved.

Keep in mind:

• It can feel unnatural or disloyal to talk about your problems with a counsellor. Taking a step outside a relationship might feel uncomfortable initially. Sessions may have periods of silence or there may be arguments and anyway that it goes is all right. We will work with you to manage whatever arises from the unfolding emotions.

• You can attend individually. If your partner doesn't want to attend the sessions, you can still benefit from learning more about your own reactions and behaviour.

• Therapy is often short term. Some couples need only a few sessions of counselling, while others may need several months. The specific time frame will depend on what your situation is.

• Homework is key. While you have an hour counselling session, you will have the rest of the week at home to put communication or partnership exercises into practice.

• You or your partner might need additional care. If one of you is coping with difficulties that would benefit from greater treatment, such as substance abuse or prior traumatic issues, a more individualised program or emergency intervention may be suggested.

Deciding to attend couples counselling isn’t easy, but neither is just hoping problems will go away. Getting help is more effective than ignoring your problems and couples are often surprised at the relief that comes once everything is out on the table with help of a neutral but skilled observer. It is incredibly courageous to stop accepting that this is as good as it gets and becoming willing to learn techniques to improve your relationship.

Most couples find the experience to be helpful, insightful and rewarding. It helps their relationship to thrive.