Finding a Couples Therapist in Perth

Couples Therapy in South Fremantle

If you’re looking for face-to-face therapy in Perth that covers couples counselling, marriage counselling, relationship therapy, sexology, sex therapy, know that all of these titles largely refer to the same thing.

However, every practitioner will of course be different. In my private practice, my work encompasses all of these. Some therapists will be trained in the relationship side (Gottman Method, Imago, Non-Violent Communication) and some will also have the sexological background (training and experience working with specifically sexual difficulties and concerns). So it is important that you speak with the therapist you are considering working with to make sure they have experience in the area you are specifically looking for support with.

Also know that each of these therapies are talk therapies. This means the assessment and treatment is related to the psychological and relational aspects of the problems that bring you to therapy, rather than the physiological. Practitioners such as pelvic floor physiotherapists, gynaecologists and GP doctors would be examples of who you would see for physical examinations, such as to investigate the physical side of conditions like vaginismus and erectile difficulties.

Physical conditions such as sexual pain and difficulties, however, are not always purely physiological. As a Sex Therapist, I routinely see the connection between the individual or couple’s relationship, mental health, lifestyle factors, level of sexual education and their personal experience with sex. Thus talk therapy is often the path to addressing these concerns rather than physical treatment.

Having said this, it is routine and common for me to recommend to clients starting out with me that they also see a practitioner to examine and conduct necessary tests for the physical concerns in order to rule out causes that cannot be addressed directly in talk therapy.