Couples
Couples counselling at Sanctuary is a thoughtful, structured space for two people who want to relate to each other better.
Some couples come wanting to address a specific issue. Others want to deepen connection, navigate a season of change, or build a stronger foundation for the future. Either way, the aim isn't just to solve the immediate problem — it's to help create healthier patterns of relating over time.
What Couples Counselling Can Help With
Communication that has become difficult or strained
Recurring patterns of conflict or misunderstanding
Feeling disconnected or emotionally distant
Stress, transition, parenting, grief or other pressures on the relationship
Strengthening trust, understanding and shared direction
Preparing for marriage or investing intentionally in the relationship
My Approach
My approach treats the relationship itself as the focus of care.
The work is not about taking sides. It is about understanding the patterns, stories and rhythms you have built together—and recognising what is helping or hindering the connection you both want.
In practice, this means creating a grounded and respectful space where both people can be heard, where what is happening beneath the surface can be named carefully, and where constructive conversation can begin to shift patterns that have become stuck.
For couples who want it, I can work within a Christian and biblically informed framework while remaining attentive to the relational, emotional and practical realities of the relationship.
I am an accredited Prepare/Enrich facilitator.
Prepare/Enrich is an established relationship assessment and feedback process that helps couples identify strengths, areas for growth and significant patterns in their relationship. It can be particularly useful for couples who prefer a more structured process, whether preparing for marriage or seeking to strengthen a long-standing relationship.
Premarital preparation using Prepare/Enrich is also available. Because this involves a particular process rather than an ordinary couples counselling appointment, please contact me before booking if this is what you are seeking.
Through this process, couples can gain insight into areas such as:
✔ Communication
✔ Conflict resolution
✔ Emotional connection
✔ Family background and expectations
✔ Personality dynamics
✔ Shared values and goals
Where appropriate, I integrate Prepare/Enrich into couples work as a practical framework for deeper reflection and constructive growth.
Who Couples Counselling Is For
Couples counselling at Sanctuary may be particularly well suited to couples who are:
wanting to address a specific relationship difficulty;
seeking to deepen their connection or navigate a season of change;
preparing for marriage or investing intentionally in their future;
open to looking honestly at established patterns;
willing to take responsibility for their own participation in the relationship; and
looking for careful, balanced work rather than a quick or superficial solution.
A note on safety and suitability
Couples counselling works best when both people are able to participate freely, safely and honestly.
Where there are concerns about intimidation, coercive control, family violence or either person’s ability to speak openly without fear of consequences, joint counselling may not be the safest or most appropriate starting point. Individual assessment, specialist support or another service may be needed instead.
Sanctuary Counselling and Supervision is not an emergency or crisis service. If either person is in immediate danger, call 000.
If I believe another practitioner or service would be better placed to support you, I will discuss this with you and, where possible, help you identify an appropriate next step. That is part of practising carefully and within scope.
Sessions and Availability
Couples counselling is currently available online throughout Australia using Halaxy Telehealth. In person sessions in the Adelaide Hills may be available, so please talk to me if this is a preference.
Couples counselling session
60 minutes · $125
A shared session for couples wanting to understand recurring patterns, communicate more constructively, and work carefully with relationship difficulties or change.
After booking, you will receive a secure couples intake and consent form through Halaxy. Both participants must understand and consent to the counselling arrangements. The person completing the form cannot provide consent on behalf of the other participant.
If cost is a concern
I don’t want cost to be the reason a couple goes without support at a time when it may be needed.
Concession rates may be available where one or both participants hold a Health Care Card, pension or student card, and in other circumstances of genuine financial hardship.
If cost is a concern, please contact me before booking. You won’t need to justify yourselves; we can simply have a straightforward conversation about what may be workable.
Start with a conversation
If you are unsure whether couples counselling at Sanctuary is the right fit—or would like to ask a practical question before booking—you are welcome to contact me by email or text. There is no need to describe the whole situation in a message. A brief outline of what you are seeking is enough.
Not sure what couples counselling actually involves, or how Prepare/Enrich fits in? Couples Counselling and Prepare/Enrich: What to Expect walks through the process, so you both know what you're stepping into before you book.
You can read more about my background, qualifications and approach on the About page.