Relationship counselling: Is it ever too late?

In this informative article, highly respected counselling psychologist Dr Sandra Rasqui shares her expert insight on the aims of relationship counselling and who may benefit from therapy of this type. The leading specialist also discusses the success rates of relationship counselling for couples and what to expect from your first session.

What are the aims of relationship counselling?

Relationship counselling aims to improve your relationship with your partner in a number of ways. It helps you to understand and articulate your needs and wishes more clearly, and encourages you to listen to and respect the needs and wishes of your partner.

Relationship counselling aims to provide you with the practical tools, skills and techniques to communicate and empathise with one another, to help you have a more meaningful and fulfilling relationship. Ultimately, it’s about working together to find solutions to common issues, to create a more effective, harmonious partnership, and above all, to find a way to begin to enjoy each other’s company once more.

Who should consider relationship counselling?

Relationship counselling can be helpful for anyone in a relationship! However, it usually assists those that are struggling to communicate, or find themselves arguing and in conflict more frequently than they would ideally like. It can also help couples when there has been a betrayal of trust, such as infidelity, or when there is conflict surrounding major life changes or decisions, including house moves, children, empty nest syndrome and mental health issues. Relationship counselling can be particularly useful when one or both parties feel as though the ‘spark’ has gone out of their relationship, and are wondering if they have reached the end of their journey together.

Is it ever too late for relationship counselling?

I am a firm believer in second chances, and I sincerely believe that where there is a willingness to work at it, every relationship can thrive. Therefore, I strongly believe it is never too late for relationship counselling! If one or both parties are curious to learn how to grow and develop together, in my view, it makes sense to give relationship counselling a try, to take the first steps towards giving your relationship another chance to flourish.

What does a relationship counselling session usually entail?

Your first relationship counselling session is generally the assessment session with both parties, which involves asking each of you what you perceive the main issues to be, what you want to work towards, and what your goals are.

This session is very much client-led – I want to hear your opinions on what you think it might take, including the time frame, for you to reach those goals. I’ll then give you my professional opinion on how we might work together to achieve this, and the frameworks I think might be most suitable given the issues and goals discussed.

Does relationship counselling have a high success rate?

Yes! The chances of success, according to recent research, are about seventy to eighty per cent compared to couples that did not attend relationship counselling. This means that for most couples, seeking professional help can mean learning to cultivate a fulfilling long-term relationship, instead of filing for divorce.

If you think you could benefit from relationship counselling and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr Rasqui, you can do so by visiting her Top Doctors profile.