Couples Therapy in Melbourne
Illume Psychology offers couples therapy in Melbourne at our practices in Hawthorn and South Melbourne. Couples therapy offers a space to come together with your partner to understand and work through concerns within your relationship. You may be struggling to communicate, unable to resolve conflict or have lost trust. Together, we attend to your emotions and needs, helping you come to know one another more deeply as you navigate experiences of connection, separation and uncertainty.
Our approach to couples therapy
Our approach to couples therapy is grounded in careful listening and respect for the unique experiences and needs of each person. We work collaboratively to establish trust, openness and safety within the therapeutic relationship, creating space for constructive dialogue and addressing the underlying causes of relationship concerns.
Through thoughtful conversation and consideration of your individual histories, we develop a shared understanding of how problems have developed over time and how they are experienced by each of you. Our approach is attachment informed and balances purposeful exploration, empathic reflection and careful analysis as we work through these concerns together.
A healthy relationship allows for both connection and separateness and moves through cycles of rupture and repair. Therapy can offer a space to work through these ruptures, restore connection and develop more attuned ways of responding to one another.
Your appointment time is reserved for you both. The therapeutic space is offered exclusively to you as a couple and can be thought of as providing a home for your feelings.
How couples therapy can help
Couples come to couples therapy, sometimes called couples counselling, for many different reasons, which may include:
Communication difficulties and conflict
Stress around life transitions
Loss of connection and intimacy
Problematic behaviour such as infidelity, gambling and addiction
Uncertainty about the future of the relationship
Managing separation and divorce, including when children are involved
Issues relating to extended family
Psychologists who see couples
Couples therapy is offered by the following psychologists, each of whom can be booked online.
Nicole D’Souza
Clinical Psychologist
BA (Hons) MPsych (Clinical), MAPS
Hawthorn and South Melbourne
Erin McSheffrey
Psychologist
BPsychSc, BPsych(Hons), MPsych(Clin), MAPS
South Melbourne
Natalie Gelfand
Psychologist
BBiomediSc GradDipPsych (Adv) MPsych (Clinical)
South Melbourne
Brooke Rubenstein
Psychologist
BA (Hons) MPsych (Clinical)
Hawthorn and South Melbourne
Tori Heywood-Smith
Psychologist
BPsychSc(Hons) MA(ATh)
Hawthorn and South Melbourne
Dr Poppy Edwards
Founder and Practice Director | Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
BA(Hons) MPsych (Clinical) DPsych (Forensic), MAPS
Hawthorn and South Melbourne
Where we see couples
Couples therapy is available in person at both of our practices.
Hawthorn: Suite 2, 33 Malmsbury Street, Hawthorn VIC 3122
South Melbourne: Level 3, 18 Thomson Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Telehealth sessions are also possible. For couples, meeting in person tends to be more suitable.
Consultations are by appointment. We also offer appointments outside ordinary hours, including early mornings, evenings and weekends, though this varies by clinician.
What you might like to know
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Sessions are 50 minutes in duration. An initial consultation is scheduled to assess your needs, develop an early understanding of the concerns that have brought you to therapy, and consider how we may work together. Once therapy begins, a regular session time is reserved for you by mutual agreement.
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Consultations are $260 for 50 minutes, the same as individual therapy. A reduced fee may be offered in certain circumstances. For after hours, weekend or public holiday appointments a $20 surcharge applies. Couples therapy is not eligible for Medicare rebates. You may like to check with your private health insurer, as some offer rebates.
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Appointments can be booked online, either through the appointments page or from a psychologist’s profile in our team pages. You are also welcome to send an enquiry, text or call us on 0412 803 277, though direct online booking offers the most immediate way to secure an appointment.
Further reading
Our Reading page includes articles on relationships and connection. You might like to read:
Book a couples therapy appointment
Appointments can be booked online for an initial consultation.