Couple Counselling
Supporting you & your partner to repair, rebuild & rejuvenate your relationship.
Ready to leave behind the nagging, tension and arguments — and create the loving, harmonious partnership you remember?
Feeling trapped and unhappy in a relationship with someone you love can be a lonely and terrifying experience.
Perhaps you're experiencing differences in sexual desire, resentment build up, the pressures of parenting, or broken trust.
I'm Nicole Mathieson, a qualified couples therapist, trauma-informed counsellor and author, and I can help.
Most couples tend to need help reconnecting, so that's where we start: with a simple, practical tool to help you two communicate better.
Then, I help you both get in touch with the deeper needs beneath your relationship hurt, with curiosity and empathy for one-another.
From this place of self-compassion and self-awareness, we can rebuild the relationship you've always wanted — with the person already standing beside you.
Couple therapy can help if you:
- Want to stop feeling angry, hurt and disconnected in your relationship.
- Have lost your passion, attraction or libido, or are experiencing conflict over differences in desire levels.
- Feel distance in your relationship and just can't seem to close the gap, no matter what you try.
- Are going through major life changes or challenges that are placing added strain on your partnership, such as parenting, grief, broken trust, financial hardship, job changes or perimenopause.
- Want to be able to share your needs with each other without conflict.
- Are both willing to try, learn, accept responsibility and grow.
I can teach you practical ways of cultivating a deeper understanding of one another, so you can safely navigate difficult conversations, trust there will always be repair after conflict, and find deep reconnection.
We'll draw from a wide therapeutic toolkit:
My relationship with my husband is deepening and we are a lot closer. I feel that I also have a better relationship with my children too, because I have a better relationship with myself since working with Nicole.
Leanne Stockwell
I highly recommend Nicole. She really helped me deepen my relationship with my partner and connect with my vision for our future together. She is a wonderful listener who offers profound guidance.
Che Johnson
Relationships can be a beautiful catalyst for personal growth — as I have personally experienced in my own 28-year marriage.
Like any marriage, my husband and I have had our ups and downs. The fact we're still happily together is not by chance. It is only since I started taking responsibility for my part in the relationship that things have felt better.
- My expectations and ideals have been deeply challenged and some smashed to pieces, so I could recognise my relationship with my husband as loving and beautiful.
- I have learned to be patient, as he has a different rhythm to me.
- I have learned to respect, admire and value his parenting, which is different to mine.
- I have become less reactive and sensitive when we are in our "dance" (triggered).
- I have become really good at inviting deepening conversations and repair.
- I have worked out ways to navigate our life together so that we both feel loved and safe.
Open the door to a happier & healthier relationship
Couple counselling can help you:
- Gain awareness of your patterns
- Feel more able to communicate your emotions and deeper needs
- Learn strategies for clearer communication and less conflict
- Feel more centred and stable in yourself
- Find and maintain healthy boundaries
- Build rituals of connection
- Release resentment
- Heal attachment wounds
- Expand sexual intimacy
I work with all types of people and relationships — hetero, poly, same sex, trans, neurodivergent, long-term or in the honeymoon phase.
I have a wealth of experience working with couples who:
- Have been struggling with fertility
- Are struggling with the transition as new parents
- Have parenting differences or difficulties
- Have libido and desire differences
- Struggle to communicate without conflict or are stuck in avoidant patterns
- Are preparing for commitment such as marriage and want to set up healthy foundations
- Are neurodivergent (autism / ADHD)
Couple counselling options
Online couple counselling — Australia-wide
Held via Zoom for couples located across Australia and beyond.
60-minute session — $300
In-person couple counselling — Brisbane, Queensland
Available Tuesdays & Thursdays at 68/283 Given Terrace, Paddington
60-minute session — $300
In-person couple counselling — Samford, Queensland
Available Wednesdays at Vera Women's Wellness, 132 Foggs Road, Mt Samson
60-minute session — $300
Nicole helped shift my views around men and relationships, some of which had shaped my psyche since childhood. She helped me forge a new way of thinking about relationships and self-love that has changed my life in amazing ways. I am forever grateful for Nicole's guidance and support.
Tess Martin // Life Coach
Frequently asked questions
The choice you make here is dependent upon your context and preferences. It may also change over time.
- A psychologist may be the best choice if there are more complex or serious issues within the partnership such as: serious mental health issues, addiction, PTSD, bipolar, trauma, domestic violence, etc.
- Couple therapy is an effective choice for many, especially if both parties feel ready and engaged.
- Individual relationship counselling may be the best choice for you if you want more understanding and control over yourself, your reactions and emotions, you will be able to understand and have a positive impact upon your relationship and your partner.
There is no fixed time that is best; however, if you are feeling negative towards your relationship, my general advice is to see someone as early as possible.
If things are generally okay, one-to-one relationship coaching or couple therapy can still be a very powerful and transformative opportunity to create change, and take your relationship to the next level.
This counselling and coaching cannot promise to save your relationship or marriage. The therapy will aim to hold a safe space for you to explore your truth, it will help you learnt he skills needed to communicate better, stay out of conflict and find more joy in your partnership. However, through this process it might become clear to you that the best outcome for everyone is to end the relationship.
Yes, while I am based in Brisbane, Australia, I see clients from around the world via Zoom. As long as your time zone meets my schedule, we can work together.
My role is to support you wherever you find yourself in your relationship journey. I use the three pillars framework, but I do not have fixed method or a process that I box you into. Instead, I meet you where you are currently at and together we go where you are ready and comfortable to explore and expand.
Feedback from a new client: “Thank you, Nicole. I have never done anything like this before. I was a bit scared, but you made that so easy for me.”
My approach is heart based, therefore fully accepting of who you are, non-judgemental and present.
Some of the ways we may explore things within a session are:
- exploring your concerns, issues and goals
- practices to tune in to and process feelings
- raising awareness of beliefs, narratives or fears that are holding you back
- looking at where idealism and expectations are creating tension
- examining where any unhealthy behaviour patterns come from
- learning practices to interrupt patterns that are not helpful
- comforting and offering support and comfort to the upset parts within
- communication skill building and practice
Yes. Please do the following:
- Fill in the forms provided
- Think about your aims and goals for the work
- Be ready for and committed to your own growth and healing
- Be drug and alcohol free
This is dependent on the individual or couples involved. It can vary but generally I would suggest you start with the aim of 4 sessions to give it a good chance and then see how you go from there.
Yes! The level to which you work on the homework between sessions makes all the difference. I give my clients focus tasks to complete as homework.
The best way to confirm if you would like to work with me is to see if you resonate with my words and style. Feel free to send me an email with any questions to hi@nicolemathieson.com
I am not able to offer you healthcare rebates and I'm afraid couple therapy is not eligible for medicare rebates.
Or get in touch if you have any questions.
Other options for improving your relationships:
A short course helping teaches harness the power of gratitude to feel more positive in your relationship.
A short course for couples on how to use communication to find your way back to safety and connection.
Practical exercises, free downloadables and guided meditations to help you get smarter in your relationship.