Relationship Counselling Melbourne
Jackie works with couples to understand the patterns that create distance and help them find their way back to emotional connection. Her approach is collaborative and grounded in warmth and curiosity - helping you both make sense of the moments you feel unseen, unheard, or misunderstood, and build new ways of reaching for each other when things feel hard.
Below, Jackie shares a little about how she typically structures the first few sessions so you know what to expect.
Session One:
Together
In your first session, we meet together to talk about what’s brought you to therapy, your relationship history, and what each of you hopes to gain. I’ll also share a little about how I work and what you can expect from the process.
This first session helps us start to notice the patterns that tend to show up between you - the ways you each reach for understanding, react to tension, or pull away when things feel hard.
Sessions Two & Three:
Individual Sessions
Next, I meet with each of you individually. These conversations help me understand how each of you experiences the relationship - what feels important, where you get stuck, and what you most long for.
It’s also a space where you can speak openly without worrying about how your partner might respond in the moment.
Session Four:
Back Together
We then come back together and begin exploring what’s been learned so far - what helps each of you feel close and connected, and what gets in the way.
This is often where things start to make more sense, as you begin to see how both of your experiences fit together in the relationship.
Session Length & Fees
Couples therapy is tailored to the needs, goals, and dynamics of each relationship.
Below is an overview of session options and fees.
Initial Couples Session
75-Minute Session — $375
Individual Sessions
50-Minute Session — $235
Ongoing Couples Sessions
50-Minute Session — $265
75-Minute Session — $345
Common Questions About Couples Therapy
The direction of therapy depends on what feels most important to you both. Sometimes we focus on recurring relationship patterns, communication difficulties, rebuilding trust, emotional disconnection, or navigating periods of stress and change together.
Depending on what’s happening in the relationship, I may suggest a small number of individual sessions before we continue together. These sessions help me better understand each person’s experience while keeping the relationship itself as the main focus of the work.
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60-Minute Initial Session:
A good option if you’d like an introduction to the process, want support around a specific concern, or prefer to start gradually.
90-Minute Initial Session:
Often helpful for couples wanting more time to explore long-standing patterns, relationship dynamics, or more emotionally complex concerns without feeling rushed.
If you’re unsure which option is right for you, feel free to reach out - we’re happy to help guide you.
Contact Us. -
After the initial couples session, I usually meet with each partner individually before we come back together.
These sessions help me better understand each person’s experience of the relationship, relational history, emotional patterns, and what may be contributing to recurring difficulties between you.
This process also helps create a clearer understanding of the dynamic between you - not just the surface-level conflict.
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Longer sessions can provide more space to slow down interactions, explore emotional patterns in greater depth, and work through more complex or emotionally charged conversations without feeling rushed.
Some couples prefer longer sessions when:
conversations escalate quickly
there are longstanding relationship patterns
communication feels difficult or emotionally reactive
they want more time for reflection, repair, and understanding within the session
Others may prefer shorter sessions as a starting point or for more focused support around a particular issue.
If you’re unsure which option may suit you best, feel free to reach out.
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To build momentum and keep the work moving, I usually recommend starting with weekly or fortnightly sessions. After the first appointment, I’ll offer to book a few sessions in advance so we can maintain a consistent rhythm and give the process time to take shape.
What The Work Often Involves
Part of the work involves slowing things down enough to better understand what happens between you during moments of tension, conflict, disconnection, or emotional distance.
Together, we begin exploring the patterns that emerge within the relationship — the ways each of you respond when feeling hurt, overwhelmed, criticised, unseen, rejected, or alone.
This may involve noticing recurring cycles between you, and understanding protective responses such as withdrawal, defensiveness, criticism, over explaining, or shutting down.
At times, we may also explore how past experiences, attachment patterns, or relational wounds continue to shape the way each of you experiences closeness, conflict, communication, or emotional safety within the relationship.
The goal is not simply to improve communication, but to create greater understanding, emotional safety, and new ways of relating to one another.
The Early Stages of Therapy
It’s helpful to know that the first few sessions form part of an assessment process — both for me to better understand your relationship, and for you to get a sense of my style and whether this feels like the right fit.
We’ll also consider whether the timing feels right for couples therapy, including whether there is enough emotional safety and readiness within the relationship to benefit from the work. If not, we can discuss what may feel most supportive in the meantime.
Considering Couples Therapy?
If you’d like to explore whether this feels like the right fit for your relationship, you’re welcome to reach out or book an initial session.
Sessions are available in-person in Camberwell, Melbourne & online across Australia.