Relationship Counselling or Couples Therapy? Finding the Right Support in Singapore 

Relationship counselling, couples therapy and marriage counselling are overlapping terms. In my practice, they describe the same core work: helping you understand what is happening between you and make meaningful changes.

You do not need to choose the right label before getting in touch.

Perhaps you have tried talking things through, only to find yourselves back in the same argument. You may still care deeply about each other but feel increasingly alone, misunderstood or unsure how to move forward.

I’m Cassandra Chiu, a Registered Counsellor with over 15 years’ experience supporting couples. I help you work through difficult exchanges as they happen—clarifying what each of you means, noticing what is being missed and helping you find a response you have struggled to reach together.

We can begin with what is difficult now.

Is couples therapy different from relationship counselling?

Practitioners may use the terms differently, but the name alone does not tell you how the sessions will work, how many appointments you will need or how serious your concerns must be.

In my marriage and relationship counselling practice, these are not separate levels of support. We shape the work around your relationship, your concerns and what you hope will change.

You can seek help with a recent difficulty or something that has troubled you for years. You do not have to wait until your relationship feels close to breaking point.

What matters when choosing a couples counsellor?

It helps to look beyond the service name and consider how the counsellor will work with you.

Will they help when the conversation gets stuck? Can they make room for both partners while addressing responsibility clearly? Will you understand what you are working towards?

My approach is warm, direct and practical. I listen to what each of you brings and pay attention to what happens between you during the conversation.

One partner may be explaining their intentions while the other is still trying to describe the hurt. Both are speaking, but they are answering different questions.

I may pause that exchange, help clarify what needs to be heard and give each person room to respond. We can then begin working on the concern that has been getting lost.

This is part of what you come to counselling for: support with the moments you have found difficult to navigate together.

What can we bring to counselling?

You do not need a neatly defined problem. You may recognise something in these experiences:

The same arguments keep returning. You may have tried choosing your words carefully or giving each other space, yet still end up feeling unheard. We explore where the conversation breaks down and work on both the exchange and any practical changes needed. Read more about counselling for recurring arguments.

You feel more like housemates than partners. Daily life may run smoothly while affection, curiosity and closeness have faded. I help you put that distance into words and explore what reconnecting would mean for each of you. Read more about feeling distant from your partner.

Trust has been damaged. After an affair or another betrayal, we need to address what happened, its impact and what responsibility and repair would involve. Read more about counselling after an affair.

You want different things for the future. Decisions about family, money, commitment or separation can be difficult to discuss when so much is at stake. I help you clarify what matters and consider your choices without assuming you must already agree.

Will we both be heard?

I take both partners’ experiences seriously, including when your accounts differ.

You may need help expressing something without being interrupted. Your partner may need help hearing it without immediately preparing a defence. I guide those exchanges so we can understand the concern and work with it.

Sometimes the first useful change is quiet reflection: a partner pauses to consider what they have heard before replying. We can build on that moment rather than rushing towards a solution.

Making room for both people does not mean treating responsibility as equal in every situation. Deception, harmful behaviour or a repeatedly broken agreement needs to be addressed clearly. Understanding someone’s experience does not excuse their actions.

Do we need to agree about the problem before coming?

No. You may arrive with quite different explanations of what is happening.

One of you may feel that you argue too much. The other may feel that important concerns are being avoided. One may want more closeness while the other feels overwhelmed by how conversations begin.

You do not need to settle those differences before the appointment. I help you explain your experiences, understand where they meet or diverge and identify a useful starting point.

We then agree on priorities and review whether the work is addressing what matters to you.

Will we begin working in the first appointment?

Your initial appointment gives us up to 90 minutes to understand what has been happening and begin working together.

We explore your concerns, what you have already tried and what you hope will change. As time allows, we also begin working on one specific difficulty—perhaps slowing down a tense exchange, helping you express something that has been hard to say or finding a practical way to ease some of the pressure.

You do not need to prepare a joint account or decide who will speak first. I will guide the conversation and help us identify a useful starting point.

Follow-up sessions build on those priorities. We discuss what happens between appointments, practise changes and review what is helping.

What approach do I use?

The Gottman Method is my main framework for couples work, supported by Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy where helpful.

We use these approaches to understand recurring patterns, strengthen connection and practise different responses. We also look at what already works between you and the actions needed outside the counselling room.

You will work directly with me throughout your appointments. I have completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 and Level 2 training and am a Master Solution-Focused Practitioner.

Explore how I use the Gottman Method in couples counselling, or read more about my background and qualifications.

Can we come if we are unmarried or unsure about staying together?

Yes. I welcome married and unmarried couples, including gay and lesbian couples.

You may be dating, living together, preparing for marriage or navigating a long-established relationship.

You can also seek counselling while you are uncertain about its future. Attending an appointment does not mean you have committed to staying together. We can explore what each of you wants, what would need to change and whether you want to work towards rebuilding.

The decision about your relationship remains yours.

What if my partner is reluctant?

Your partner may worry about being blamed, feel uncomfortable discussing private matters or doubt that another conversation will help.

A specific invitation can make it easier to understand what you are asking:

“I miss feeling close to you, and I’d like us to get some help.”

Or:

“We keep trying to sort this out, but we end up hurting each other. I’d like us to try a different way.”

If your partner is not ready, you can seek individual counselling to understand your experience, clarify your needs and consider your next steps. Coming alone does not make you responsible for repairing the relationship by yourself.

Where individual meetings form part of couples counselling, I explain their purpose and confidentiality arrangements beforehand. These meetings remain part of the couples work and are distinct from separate individual counselling.

Where there is abuse, coercive control or fear of a partner, please let me know before arranging a joint appointment so we can consider an appropriate starting point.

Are appointments available online?

Yes. You can attend at my Rocca Balestier practice in Singapore or online.

Partners can also join an online appointment from separate locations, subject to suitable arrangements. This can make it easier to attend around work, travel or different living arrangements.

Read more about online couples counselling.

How much does counselling cost?

The initial appointment is S$400 for up to 90 minutes.

Follow-ups are S$250 per one-hour appointment block, including approximately 50 minutes of counselling. No GST is charged. The first hour is charged in full. Any additional time is agreed beforehand and charged in 15-minute increments at S$62.50 per increment.

The number and spacing of appointments depend on your concerns, goals and progress. We review the direction together, with opportunities to discuss whether to continue, space out appointments or bring our work to a close.

View counselling fees and packages.

Take the first step towards a different conversation

You may miss the ease you once had together. You may be tired of another evening ending in frustration or silence. Or you may need help discussing something you have been carrying for a long time.

You do not need to know exactly how to explain it before reaching out.

Tell me what has brought you here. We can find a useful place to begin.

Contact me about a counselling appointment.