FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does couples therapy cost?

 

Evidence-based couples therapy with a highly qualified and experienced couples therapist is an investment in your relationship and your future.

With full certification as a Gottman couples therapist and as a Discernment counsellor, Anne offers clients excellence in couples counselling. Her fees are consistent with her specialist credentials and experience. 

 

Fees for regular Couples therapy sessions and Discernment counselling 

  • Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm $270/hr
  • Saturday or weekday after 5pm $300/hr

Please note that minimum session lengths apply: weekdays 2 hrs, weekends 3 hrs

 

Fees for Gottman assessment and feedback – Phase 1 of all Gottman couples therapy

All Gottman couples therapy commences with comprehensive relationship assessment and feedback. This is an essential component of the established, research-based Gottman couples therapy process. It ultimately supports more efficient couples therapy.

 

Well Of Life Counselling offers assessment and feedback as a package that includes:

  • Online Gottman Institute questionnaires – reviewed by Anne prior to your first appointment
  • Joint consultation (1hr) 
  • Individual consultations with each of you (1hr each) 
  • Clinical analysis by Anne of the information provided.
  • Feedback session (1hr) identifying relationship strengths, challenges, goals, priority areas and recommendations for strengthening your relationship
  • Provision of targeted resources that will support you meeting your relationship goals

 

Fee for assessment and feedback package

  • Tuesday – Friday $1400
  • Saturday or public holidays $1800

Assessment and feedback are usually undertaken as a 5 hour block. The 4th hour is available for you to use as you choose while Anne prepares your feedback.

Assessment and feedback can be broken into shorter sessions, for example, the 3 hour assessment component (1 hour together and 1 hour with each of you individually) on one day, and 1hr feedback on a separate day.

 

Rebates

Please contact Well of Life Counselling or your health insurance provider to discuss possible rebates

Medicare does not provide cover for couples therapy

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How much does individual therapy cost?

Anne offers evidence-based individual therapy to support your goals. She uses a relationship and trauma-informed lens for supporting individual healing and growth. 

Fees for individual therapy

  • Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm $150 (50 min)
  • Saturday or after 5pm weekdays $170 (50min)

Please contact Well of Life Counselling or your health insurance provider to discuss possible rebates

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I'm thinking of separating can you help me?

Many people assume that counselling is only for those who are committed to working on their relationship.

In reality, many couples who reach out for therapy are ‘mixed agenda’ couples; one person is keen to work on the relationship and the other isn’t even sure they want to be in it. Discernment counselling is a process designed specifically for couples in this situation. It’s an opportunity to explore without judgement, the options with a specially trained counsellor. Discernment counselling can avoid the cost of half-hearted couples therapy. It can also avoid the costs of divorce, instead helping you to find your way back to a relationship you’re happy you decided to work on.

You can find out more in this blog post ‘How to Decide: Stay or Go’

We're already separated. Is it too late?

For many couples there’s a lot of uncertainty in the decision to separate. Even after separation there can be ambivalence around the decision. If this is where you’re at… it’s not too late. Discernment counselling provides space for looking at the question of whether or not you would both like to try to rebuild your relationship. The goals of Discernment counselling are clarity about how your relationship got to this point and confidence about the decision you make. 

How long are couples therapy appointments?

 

Regular couples therapy appointments are a minimum of 2 hours. 

 

Studies show that these longer sessions are more efficient and that couples attending longer sessions have better relationship outcomes.
Each couples session needs to be long enough to support:
  • both partners feeling safe and sharing more deeply,
  • both partners being heard and understood,
  • healing any hurts that come out of the deeper conversations and
  • the couple experiencing emotional reconnection prior to the end of the session.
Risks with shorter sessions are that:
  • both partners share but the content is no deeper than a conversation they would have on their own,
  • only one partner gets to share more deeply and the other is left ‘hanging’, 
  • conversations raise hurts but there’s not sufficient time for processing and healing, and
  • therapy feels disjointed, making it difficult for partners to create a sense of momentum and positive shift, which can lead to loss of motivation and drop out. 
How long does couples therapy go for?

The length of therapy varies greatly. It’s unusual for couples to require less than 10 hours of therapy or more than 40. Factors that influence the length of therapy include how long you’ve had issues and how complex the issues are. Utilising the resources provided and integrating what you’re learning in sessions, into your home life will support your progress.

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Booking

 

 

Initial bookings are made by email or phone.

Online booking is available for subsequent consultations.

Full Relationship Assessment appointments are confirmed once both Intake Forms and 50% deposit are received.

All consultations of 4 hours or longer require 50% deposit at the time of booking.

Deposits, minus a $100 admin fee & the cost any of Gottman questionnaires purchased,

are fully refundable up to one week prior and non-refundable less than one week prior.

Cancellation or shortening of a consultation less than 24 hours prior incurs the full session fee.