Couples & Marriage Counselling
Resolve conflict. Improve communication. Rebuild trust. Reconnect. Supporting Australian couples
Meet Lachlan Laing
I specialise in relationship and marriage counselling and take a holistic, practical and honest approach to support couples to better understand their relationship.
I believe healthy relationships are built around qualities such as love, appreciation, trust, attraction, communication, safety, intimacy and growth. When any of these areas break down, couples can easily become caught in patterns of conflict, withdrawal, frustration, resentment, hurt, disconnection, or hopelessness — very often without understanding why.
A large part of my work is helping couples understand those underlying dynamics, rather than simply dealing with the latest issue or argument. I have trained extensively in relationship-focused approaches including Attachment Theory - attachment styles, Gottman Institute, Emotion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Love Languages and the Drama Triangle.
Attachment styles in particular can be incredibly useful in helping couples understand why each partner responds so differently to conflict. Often during challenges one partner desires closeness and resolution, whilst the other shuts down and seeks distance. When both partners begin to understand themselves and each other better, the way they communicate and relate significantly improves.
I support couples with the following pressures that can affect a relationship such as communication, conflict resolution, rebuilding trust, infidelity and betrayal, intimacy and sexual compatibility, parenting and co-parenting, blended families, money, work and business pressures, ADHD, health challenges, grief, porn, alcohol or drug concerns, anxiety, depression, and trauma.
I’ve also experienced many of the challenges couples bring into counselling. I’m currently in a quality long-term relationship, and previously had two long-term relationships of 9–12 years, including marriage, and I’m a father of three. My experience includes parenting, co-parenting, relationship breakdown, couples counselling and mediation.
I’m passionate about helping couples work consciously on their relationship and resolve their challenges rather than tolerate them. I also support couples who are considering separation, or trialling time apart.
Understanding relationships and what helps people create genuine change has been a significant part of my life for nearly three decades.
In that time, I have been actively involved in my own personal development, focused on understanding relationships, trauma, human behaviour and what helps people change.
I believe quality counselling guidance comes not just from theory, but from having genuinely experienced and grown through relationship challenges myself. I want clients to feel they are supported by someone who understands and empathises with the reality and complexity of relationships — not simply applying a counselling model from a textbook.
My training includes a highly intensive two-year counselling program, a Diploma in Relationship Counselling, Gottman Institute relationship training, Emotion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and more than 15 residential personal-development programs.
Before counselling I created and operated several businesses, giving me an understanding of the pressures work, finances and ambition can place on relationships.
I’m personally passionate about health, personal development, business, the environment and travel. Honesty, integrity, and love are paramount to my life.
Getting Quality Support
Seeking relationship/marriage counselling can be a courageous step, however it's definitely a positive one for responsibly addressing challenges and experiencing a successful relationship.
1.
Foundation
2.
Attachment styles
3.
Safety
4.
Repair
5.
Four Horsemen
Communication
Communication is the most common area couples need help with. Improving communication skills supports mutual respect, deepens trust, and both partners feel heard and valued
Conflict resolution
Couples who struggle to resolve issues tend to get stuck in a repeated loop, feeling heightened frustration, anxiety, withdrawal, fatigue and hurt
Intimacy
Intimacy tends to be a very important area for couples. Often when other areas of the relationship are challenged, intimacy can be the relationships casualty
Rebuilding trust
Trust is foundational for a healthy relationship. Common disruptors of trust are hurtful words, conflict, infidelity, a lack of emotional or physical safety, and addictions
I conduct all counselling sessions via Zoom video. In my professional experience, I have found online sessions to be particularly effective for couples.
Apart from being more convenient, clients often feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics from a familiar environment such as their home or office. This can help clients to open up more easily and achieve positive change sooner, particularly those who struggle to communicate openly in their relationship or are naturally more introverted.
When video sessions are done from your home, there's the additional benefit of working on relationship challenges in the environment where your relationship actually exists — allowing positive change to begin happening in real time.
Video sessions still allow for a strong personal connection, with facial expressions, tone of voice, and other important communication cues clearly visible.
If you have any questions, you're welcome to call me for a brief chat
Sessions & Fees
Individual intake sessions — $165 each. Up to 90 minutes.
I begin by meeting with each partner separately. This gives each of you the opportunity to speak openly and honestly about your relationship, without needing to filter what you say because your partner is in the room. It allows me to understand each of you, your background and your experience of the relationship as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
In my experience, starting this way gives couples counselling a much stronger foundation and helps our joint sessions become more focused, productive and effective.
Couples sessions — $175 total per couple. 60 minutes.
Additional individual sessions — $140 per session. 60 minutes (Available when required throughout the counselling process).