Couples Therapy
Many factors can create stress within a relationship, including work, finances and breakdown in communication, betrayal, parenting amongst others.
The reality is that being in a relationship can bring a great sense of joy and fulfilment but can also result in a deep sense of hurt and loneliness.
What Is Couples Therapy?
We know that having a healthy and happy relationship can improve well-being and life satisfaction.
The goal of couples therapy at Us is to improve our understanding of each other, renew our friendship and connection and resolve any hurt and betrayal that has occurred. We also help couples break unhelpful conflict cycles and deepen their understanding of their hopes and dreams within life and their relationship.
Within our therapy sessions, couples work together to express their emotions and frustrations in a safe and conducive environment, driving them to feel closer and create mutual respect between partners.
When To Seek Help
Recognising when you and your partner might need couples therapy can be challenging, but there are several signs that suggest it could be helpful.
Relationships go through ups and downs, but when certain issues become persistent or start negatively affecting your emotional well-being, therapy can provide the tools to help navigate and resolve them.
Remember, it takes couples an average of seven years to seek help. If you start sooner, you can start to enjoy the benefits of a close and connected relationship sooner too.
Here are some signs that you might need couples therapy:
1. Constant Arguing or Fighting
If you find yourselves arguing frequently, especially about the same issues, it might indicate that communication is breaking down.
Repetitive arguments, where no resolution is reached, can lead to feelings of frustration, resentment, and emotional distance. It can also feel very depleting and lead you to want to spend less time with your partner. Over time this can lead to more issues and loss of connection.
Therapy can help you both understand the underlying issues and improve your communication strategies.
2. Lack of Communication
Communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship.
If you or your partner are avoiding difficult conversations or finding it hard to talk openly about your needs, feelings, or frustrations, it can lead to emotional disconnect.
Couples therapy can help break down communication barriers and teach you healthier ways to express yourselves.
3. Emotional or Physical Distance
Feeling emotionally distant or physically disconnected from your partner can be a sign that something is not working in the relationship.
If intimacy, both emotional and physical, has diminished significantly or feels unfulfilling, therapy can help you explore the root causes and rebuild that connection.
We often find that emotional intimacy starts to drop first and this is then followed by physical intimacy down the line.
4. Loss of Trust
Trust issues can arise from betrayal, dishonesty, or a history of broken promises.
If either partner has cheated or lied, or if there are repeated breaches of trust, couples therapy can help rebuild trust through open dialogue, accountability, and understanding.
It is important to repair breaches of trust as if left unresolved it will lead to more fights and less emotional connection
5. Unresolved Past Issues
If past issues, such as childhood trauma, previous relationship baggage, or old conflicts, continue to resurface and affect the current relationship, it can be difficult to move forward.
A therapist can help you process past hurts and work on forgiving and healing together.
6. Different Life Goals
Over time, couples may realise they want different things out of life—whether it is about career goals, family planning, or lifestyle choices.
If these differences are causing conflict or leading to feelings of confusion about the future, therapy can help you explore your goals and find common ground.
The process of understanding your partners goals and dreams can be very connecting, when done with a therapist and can lead to deeper understanding and feeling of team work and deepening connection.
7. Feeling Stuck or Like You Are Just Going Through the Motions
If you feel like the relationship has become stagnant or like you are just going through the motions without real emotional connection, therapy can help breathe new life into the relationship.
A therapist can help you explore how to reignite your passion, interest, and emotional connection.
8. One Partner Feels Unheard or Undervalued
When one person consistently feels like their needs, opinions, or feelings are dismissed, it can lead to feelings of isolation and resentment.
Therapy can offer a safe space for both partners to feel heard and validated, allowing both perspectives to be understood. This can often lead to emotional disconnect and also fights.
With the help of the therapist you can start to understand the unhelpful communication patterns and find better ways to express each other to feel heard.
9. Frequent Emotional Outbursts or Withdrawal
If one or both partners are frequently experiencing intense emotional reactions, such as anger, tears, or withdrawal, it could signal that deeper emotional needs are not being met.
Therapy can help identify what is driving these emotional responses and how to manage them healthily. Although this is a very common pattern, it is also one of the most painful patterns in a couple.
With the guidance of a therapist you can learn to see the dance as it unfolds and find more helpful ways of addressing each other’s needs.
10. Feeling Like You Are Growing Apart
If you have noticed that you and your partner have grown apart over time, whether emotionally, physically, or intellectually, therapy can help you reconnect and rediscover common interests, passions, and goals. It can help you realign and work together toward rebuilding intimacy.
11. Avoiding or Dreading Time Together
If you feel like spending time with your partner has become a chore or you actively avoid being together, it could be a sign of underlying dissatisfaction.
Therapy can help identify why this avoidance is happening and find ways to rekindle positive interactions.
12. You Are Considering Separation or Divorce
If you or your partner are considering ending the relationship, therapy can provide an opportunity to explore whether the issues can be worked through.
Sometimes, couples therapy can be the last step before making a final decision, offering clarity on whether reconciliation is possible or whether separation is the healthiest option.
13. One or Both Partners Are Struggling with Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or trauma can take a toll on relationships.
If one partner is struggling with mental health challenges, it can create an imbalance in the relationship. Therapy can help both partners understand and navigate these challenges together, ensuring that the relationship remains supportive and understanding.
14. You Have Tried to Resolve Issues on Your Own and Nothing Works
If you have tried to work through problems on your own but continue to feel stuck, a neutral third-party perspective can make a big difference.
A therapist can help you both identify unhelpful patterns, provide guidance, and teach coping strategies to resolve conflicts.
Why Seek Therapy?
Couples therapy provides a safe and neutral space to address the issues in your relationship without judgment. It can help you both understand each other’s perspectives, improve your emotional intimacy, and strengthen your bond.
Therapy also offers practical tools and strategies that can help you better manage conflict, build healthier communication habits, and increase your emotional connection.
If you recognise any of these signs in your relationship, it is okay to reach out for help. A therapist can guide you through the process of improving your relationship and ensuring both partners feel supported and understood.
How Can Us Help You?
Experienced Therapists
Our clinicians have over 60 years of collective experience working with couples! They have all been highly trained and have undergone additional and specialist training for couples therapy.
Holistic & Personalised Approach
Our marriage counselling clinicians draw from various therapeutic models to create a holistic approach that best suits you and your partner. At Us, we have seen hundreds of couples and we recognise that each couple is unique. Our approach is tailored to the couple but always includes customised treatment plans and integrative techniques.
Thorough Assessment
At Us, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive assessment processes. This is particularly important considering it takes a couple approximately 6 years to seek therapy to overcome their challenges. We will undergo a thorough assessment process with you and your partner in your first couple of sessions before we come up with a plan for your therapy.
Our Therapists
What To Expect
Initial Consultation – A Space to Be Heard
The first session is all about getting to know you. It is a conversation—one where you can share what is been on your mind, what has been feeling difficult, and what you would like support with. Your therapist will ask questions about your background, experiences, and goals, but there is no pressure to answer any questions—just a safe space to begin.
For couples therapy, the process is a little different. Often, the first session is together, followed by individual sessions so each partner has space to share their perspective before coming back to joint sessions.
Questionnaires & Onboarding Surveys – Understanding the Full Picture
To help tailor therapy to your needs, you may be asked to fill out some brief questionnaires before or after your first session. These can give insight into things like mood, stress levels, relationship patterns, or coping strategies. They are not tests—just tools to help your therapist understand how best to support you.
Individual Therapy Sessions – Your Journey at Your Own Pace
Each session is a step forward in your journey. Therapy is not just about talking—it is about discovering new ways to navigate life’s challenges, make sense of emotions, and feel like you are getting the most out of your life. Depending on your needs, sessions may focus on:
- Exploring patterns of thought and behavior
- Understanding past experiences and their impact on the present
- Developing practical coping tools
- Strengthening emotional resilience
For couples therapy, sessions help build communication, deepen understanding, and find new ways to support each other.
Feedback Sessions – Reflecting and Adjusting
After the first few sessions (or after assessments), a feedback session provides space to reflect on how therapy is going. This is a chance to talk about what has been helpful, what you would like more of, and how therapy can continue to best serve you.
Intervention – The Heart of Therapy
Intervention is where meaningful change happens. Every therapy journey is unique, and the approach will be shaped around what works best for you. Some common approaches include:
🌱 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helping to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, reduce anxiety, and develop healthier ways to cope and new patterns of behaviour.
🧠 Schema Therapy – Deep, transformational work to uncover long-standing patterns that might be keeping you stuck, often rooted in early life experiences.
💙 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Learning to handle difficult emotions with self-compassion and move towards what truly matters in life.
🌊 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – A powerful approach for healing trauma and distressing memories, helping the brain reprocess them in a way that feels less overwhelming.
🧘 Mindfulness-Based Approaches – Building self-awareness, grounding techniques, and ways to manage stress and emotions with greater ease.
For couples therapy, interventions might include emotion-focused approaches, Gottman Method techniques, or attachment-based strategies to strengthen connection.
Types Of Couples Therapy In Singapore
Couples therapy is a powerful and effective way to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and address challenges within a partnership.
In Singapore, there are various types of couples therapy tailored to meet different needs.
Below is an overview of the most common types of couples therapy available which are also known to be effective:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
EFT focuses on understanding and improving the emotional bond between partners. It helps couples identify negative communication patterns, express their feelings openly, and build a secure, loving connection. This therapy is highly effective for couples experiencing conflict, distance, or emotional disconnection.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Couples
CBT for couples addresses unhealthy or unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that may be causing tension or disconnection in the relationship.
Therapists work with partners to identify and replace negative beliefs, develop constructive habits and more connecting behaviours, and resolve conflicts in a more positive and productive way. Like other methods, the work is done with the goal of improving connection and communication.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Based on decades of research, the Gottman Method aims to improve communication, rebuild trust, and increase intimacy.
This method helps couples recognise destructive behaviours, enhance their friendship, and create shared goals. It is ideal for addressing deep-rooted conflicts or rebuilding after a crisis.
The Gottman’s encourage all sessions to be done in the couple and work together to rebuild the connection and relationship. It has a specialist intervention for working with betrayal and when there is addiction in one of the partners.
Marathon therapy is usually done with Gottman Couples Therapy which is where therapy sessions last 4-6 hours and issues are dealt with more deeply and more effectively.
Imago Relationship Therapy
Imago therapy explores how childhood experiences shape current relationship dynamics. Couples learn to understand each other’s emotional needs and communicate with empathy. This approach helps deepen understanding and connection between partners by helping them understand some of the unhelpful and inevitable patterns, learned through childhood, that may continue to play a part in their relationships today.
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)
IBCT combines acceptance and behaviour change techniques. It helps couples recognise and accept their differences while working together to improve problematic areas of their relationship.
In IBCT, the unhelpful ‘trap’ or dance that the couple engages in is identified and work is done to notice this in the therapy room and at home, and new steps and patterns are built to help engage in more useful and connecting ways.
Sex Therapy
For couples facing intimacy or sexual challenges, sex therapy addresses concerns such as mismatched libidos, performance anxiety, or other sexual difficulties. It provides a safe space for partners to discuss sensitive topics and rekindle physical intimacy. Most couples therapists are comfortable working with issues around sex and intimacy as this is often a concern for partners.
Pre-Marital Counselling
Designed for couples preparing for marriage, this therapy helps partners discuss important topics like financial planning, family expectations, and conflict resolution. It sets a strong foundation for a successful marriage. Often offered as part of the religious communities, it is a helpful process especially for couples who have not had very strong role models or want to have a different relationship to those they witnessed growing up.
Fees
Couples Counselling Rates
Clinician type
Fees and Duration
Senior Clinical Psychologist
$620 (100 minutes)
Counselling Psychologist
$375 (80 minutes)
$500 (100 minutes)
Counsellor
$300 (80 minutes)
$400 (100 minutes)
FAQs About Couples Therapy
What kind of therapy is best for couples?
At Us, we offer Gottman Therapy, amongst other evidence-based couples therapy here in Singapore, to help couples navigate complex emotions and deepen their sense of connection and understanding.
Couples therapy at Us uses the Gottman Method, amongst others as it is the most researched and evidence-based therapeutic models for couples therapy.
It is a short-term, structured, goal-oriented, client-focused therapy. Through the work together, we aim to help couples achieve a breakthrough in their unhelpful conflict patterns and resolve many misunderstandings and hurt within their relationships.
When is the right time to consider couples therapy?
Couples therapy can benefit couples at different stages of their relationship.
If you’re finding it difficult to resolve conflict that appears to be recurrent and stuck, couples therapy can help you get past these painful cycles.
If you’re having difficulties managing external stressors, couples therapy can help create a context where you can discuss these and manage them more as a team.
We also see couples who are newly married and want to ensure that they have a healthy and long-lasting relationship and others who are struggling to adapt to no longer having children at home.
In essence, couples who want to work through challenges and better understand each other, as well as work on maintaining a healthy long-term relationship, can hugely benefit from couples therapy.
What If Only One Partner Is Willing To Attend Therapy?
While ideally both partners are involved, individual therapy can still be helpful in addressing personal concerns that impact the relationship. There is evidence that you can influence your relationship by working on your own behaviours.
How much is couple therapy in singapore?
Couples Counselling Rates
Counsellor
$300 (80 minutes)
$400 (100 minutes)
Counselling Psychologist
$375 (80 minutes)
$500 (100 minutes)
Senior Clinical Psychologist
$620 (100 minutes)
What can I expect from couples therapy?
Gottman Method therapy works on improving friendship, conflict management and creating shared meaning through thorough assessment of past and current issues.
Therapy will start with 4 to 6 sessions for an initial assessment. This includes Individual sessions and questionnaires, after which our relationship therapist will discuss a plan with the couple based on their goals.
Sessions usually take place weekly and are around 80-100 minutes each. Homework is a part of the process in order to practice the skills worked on in the session.
If you are interested in couples therapy, you can book a consultation or reach out to us on WhatsApp, you can also call us +65 6980 8580.
We offer all types of relationship counselling and marriage counselling in Singapore. We look forward to welcoming you to our clinic.
FAQ
Each individual’s grieving process is unique, and it is very important to recognise that there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve.
Grief counselling often uses a variety of techniques tailored to your needs, including:
- Narrative Therapy: Encourages you to share your story of loss, deepening your understanding of the meaning of your loss and helping you make sense of your emotions.
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Provide tools to manage overwhelming feelings and ground yourself in the present moment.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps address unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs about the loss and promotes healthier coping strategies.
- Art and Creative Therapies: Allows for expression of grief through mediums like drawing, writing, or music, offering an alternative outlet for emotions.
Each technique aims to provide comfort, understanding, and practical tools to navigate your grief journey.
The best type of therapy for grief often depends on the individual. Many find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy helpful, while others benefit from more experiential approaches like art or mindfulness-based therapies.
A skilled therapist will work with you to determine the most suitable approach.
