Clinical Psychology in Surry Hills, Sydney
Relationship & Couples Therapy in Sydney
Relationships are where our oldest patterns show up — and where the cost of those patterns is highest. Whether you're stuck in the same fight on repeat, drifting apart, navigating a betrayal, or trying to repair after a hard year, therapy can change what happens between you.
You may recognise some of these
Common ways relationship issues shows up. You don't need to tick every box for therapy to help.
- The same argument that keeps coming back
- Feeling unheard, dismissed, or invisible to your partner
- Loss of intimacy — emotional, physical, or both
- Resentment that's built up over time
- Trust broken by infidelity, dishonesty, or breach
- Big life decisions causing strain — kids, careers, in-laws
- Walking on eggshells or shutting down to keep the peace
- Wondering whether to stay or go
Evidence-based approaches we use
Therapy tailored to your situation — drawing on what the research says works, and what fits you.
Evidence-based
The Gottman Method
A research-based approach built from decades of studying what makes relationships work. We assess where you are and use specific tools to rebuild friendship, manage conflict, and create shared meaning.
Evidence-based
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Helps you understand the emotional cycles driving conflict — the pursue-withdraw dance, the protests and protections — and shift them into something safer for both of you.
Evidence-based
Schema Therapy for couples
For relationships where each person's early patterns keep triggering the other's. Helpful when surface-level communication tools haven't been enough.
Evidence-based
Individual therapy
Sometimes the most useful work for a relationship happens with one person. Especially if you're unsure whether to stay, working on your part of the dynamic, or grieving the end of a relationship.
What working together looks like
A clear, paced approach — no jargon, no rigid template.
- 1
Assessment
Usually a joint session followed by individual sessions with each partner — so we can understand the relationship from multiple angles before recommending an approach.
- 2
The work
Weekly or fortnightly joint sessions. Practical tools, structured exercises, and the harder conversations — in a setting where both of you can be heard.
- 3
Consolidation
As the patterns shift, we space sessions further apart and work on making the changes durable — for the hard weeks that will come.
Practical details
Medicare rebates, telehealth, and Surry Hills sessions
With a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be eligible for Medicare rebates on up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We offer both in-person sessions at our Surry Hills rooms (Level 1/17 Randle St) and secure telehealth across NSW — many clients move between the two depending on the week.
Relationship Issues — frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we hear most often.
Couples sessions are generally not covered under a standard Mental Health Treatment Plan, which is for individual therapy. Some private health funds offer rebates on couples counselling — check with your insurer. We'll discuss fees clearly upfront.
Ideally both partners are engaged, but it doesn't have to be 50/50 from day one. Often one person initiates and the other warms up over time. What matters is that both people are willing to come and see what's possible.
It varies — some couples find 8–12 sessions enough to shift a specific pattern; longer-standing or more complex situations often need longer. We review progress regularly and shape the work around what's actually changing.
Often, yes — though the work is significant. Therapy after infidelity focuses on understanding what happened, processing the impact, rebuilding trust, and deciding what kind of relationship is possible going forward. Both partners have to be willing to do that work.
Sometimes that's the right outcome. Therapy that ends in a clearer, more considered separation — especially where children are involved — is often more valuable than therapy that prolongs an unsustainable relationship.
Yes. Telehealth couples work has come a long way and works well for most couples. For some kinds of work — particularly the more emotionally intensive sessions — in-person is preferable. We'll discuss what's right for you.
Related areas we work with
Many people come to therapy with more than one of these at the same time.
We're here when you take the first step
Reaching out can feel daunting, especially when things have been building for a while. Wherever you are — considering therapy for the first time, or returning after a break — we'll meet you there. Send a message when you feel ready, and we'll find a time to talk.
Prefer to call? 0422 918 631