We love each other, but we’re struggling. Can a marriage counsellor help?
We’re here to help you work on your relationship - whether you need to heal or want to thrive. We can support you when:
Trust has been broken
Communication is poor
Arguments are more frequent
Conflict management skills are poor
Emotional intimacy is gone
Something just feels wrong, but you’re not sure what it is
Our couples counsellors are here to help you in your relationship, whether you need to heal or want to thrive.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you repair or improve your relationship. Contact us however you feel most comfortable, for example Whatsapp message us, or feel free to call us on +971 56 895 2347. You can also email or simply send us a query via our online form. Instagram message, Facebook chat… whatever works best for you!
Our goal is to make you comfortable.
How Couples Therapy Can Help
What does a good marriage look like?
No two relationships are the same, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to marriage. At the same time, there are some relationship qualities that are more adaptive than others. Decades of psychology research point to a few key ingredients of a healthy and strong marriage.
Good communication is a key aspect of healthy relationships. It’s important for couples to make time for one another, as well as themselves as individuals. This includes checking in and chatting about what is happening in their separate and shared lives. Many partners spend a lot of time talking about parenting and household tasks - which is understandable - but it’s good to talk about other things too.
At times, our conversation can shift towards a difficult or tense topic. Many partners become frustrated, which can lead them to speak in an aggressive way. The other partner, in turn, feels defensive and snaps back. This communication patterns often ends in conflict. It is important to remember that conflict is not always a bad thing. Rather, it is a sign that we need something in our relationship to change. Healthy couples approach in a gentle and positive way, rather than with anger and contempt.
Most of us have some routines to help us manage our day-to-day lives. At the same time, it’s important to keep things interesting. Many couples have regular date nights to catch up on each other’s news. It is important that date nights don’t become too routine - mixing it up with different activities is also a great way to reconnect and find something to talk about other than kids and errands!
In addition to good communication, constructive conflict management strategies, and shared activities, healthy couples are also intimate - whether that intimacy is emotional and/or physical. Many couples want to know how intimate they should be, especially when it comes to sexual intimacy, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. Satisfaction with our sexual relationship - whatever that may be - is more important than how regular it is.
How does marriage counselling work?
We use an integrative approach that includes existential humanistic therapies and relational mindfulness. Both partners attend each 100 minute session.
During the first session, we will assess the pain points in your relationship from each partner’s perspective. We will also incorporate some exercises and dialogues to help you increase positivity and decrease negativity in your relationship.
From the second session onwards, we will work exclusively on strategies that will help you deepen your bond and overcome the challenges that you are facing in your relationship.
Throughout the sessions, we will learn and practice skills to improve our positive communication, manage conflict more constructively, and (re)build emotional intimacy.
Does couples counselling actually work?
Couples therapy can help you improve your relationship, but it requires both parties to be honest, open, and motivated. Many couples often take a reactive - rather than a proactive - approach and come in after they have experienced a crisis or fallen into a deep relational rut. We encourage you to reach out for support as early as possible. As we mentioned above, marriage counselling can be both preventative and healing. Get in touch to learn how our resident couples therapist and marriage consultant, Dr. Sarah Rasmi, can help you today.