My name is Stewart, and I’m trained as a counsellor, and I specialise in helping couples.  My mission is to help couples on the Fleurieu to get more fun + connection in their relationship.  I realise every couplehood is different, and every couple is at its own level.  You might be going magnificently, and in a rewarding and enjoyable relationship.  I’d like to help more couples move towards that happy state.  The reality is that most couples fall on a spectrum between fantastic and really dysfunctional.  Relationship happiness tends to rise and fall too, that is totally normal!

Do any of these feel familiar?

- it could be that your together time is a little repetitious, and you want more creativity

- you might be a couple that has been together for ages, but because everything else is so urgent, your time by yourselves gets pushed off-stage

- you might have only been together for a short time and still working out your dynamic - like why your partner gets upset out of the blue,  or how you can give in a way that is quite meaningful to them

- some of you are coming out of the honeymoon (aka limerence) stage of your relationship, and some of the gloss has worn off.  You’ve had changes in dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin levels, and you’re dealing with the reality of day to day living and chores

If I were to compare a couple to a car, sometimes you need the RAA, but that might be prevented if you get it serviced on a regular basis

So on social media (links at bottom), I’m trying to give you as a couple more tools to get more fun and connection…  and I’m trying to do it in a way that you can understand the theory behind what’s happening in your brain, and how you can put it into practice straight away.

You are also welcome to get emailed updates from me once a month.

I’ve got some date ideas, how to book therapy if you need it, hints, resources, and that’s where I’ll put upcoming workshops

let me know suggestions of things that would be helpful, by leaving a comment or getting in touch 

look forward to ways I can assist

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Psychotherapist Esther Perel gave an excellent talk at TED about maintaining sexual desire.  In essence, long term couples needs to reconcile 2 opposite needs - love and desire.  Love is associated with security, safety, dependability, permanence.  Desire, in direct contrast, is fuelled by things like adventure, mystery, risk, journey.