Marriage counselling in Singapore
A relationship will always have its ups and downs, and a few quarrels are going to be inevitable throughout the course of your married life. But if the disagreements are getting out of hand and there doesn’t seem to be any way to save things, it might be worth signing up for marriage counselling.
It doesn’t mean that your relationship has failed – it just means that you’re getting some extra help from an unbiased, trained professional who might be able to teach you how to approach and resolve your issues more effectively. In fact, the very act of you seeking out external aid is a sign that you’re determined to make things work.
Here are some marriage counselling services in Singapore you can try:
1. Care Corner
With programme specifically for young newlyweds
Care Corner has multiple support programmes to guide couples at various stages of their relationship, so you can look to them for relevant advice whether you’ve been married a year or 10. Their Early Marriage Support Programme in particular is designed to help young couples build a strong foundation in the early years of marriage, with tips on family and financial planning, dealing with conflicts, and having a healthy relationship with your in-laws.
As you transition from newly-weds to parents, they also provide counselling services to help alleviate the stress and anxiety of parenting and improve your relationship with your spouse and children. While they have a variety of locations and services islandwide, troubled couples can head to their Counselling Centre, located in Toa Payoh, best known for their marital and familial related services.
Price: Drop the centre a call to find out about their rates.
Telephone: 6250 6813
2. Alliance Counselling
Intensive 2-day counselling “marathons” for heavy issues
Image credit: Alliance Counselling
While popular with expats as they have a lot of expat counsellors who may better understand roadblocks faced by that group, Alliance Counselling also welcomes locals and has a few Singaporean staff.
They follow a method called Gottman Couple Therapy, an approach based on data and research. You’ll first have to go through a couple assessment, before filling up an evaluation form and attending an individual session. Then, you come back together for a joint discussion and set goals together as a couple so that you can build better mutual understanding and work through any conflicts.
For something more intensive, opt for their Marathon Couple’s Therapy. This is a 2-day thing lasting 6-7 hours per day, with a couple of breaks in between. It might be a little heavy, but helps couples tackle problems at the root and leave past baggage behind – suitable for those who are experiencing tough, pressing issues such as infidelity. You’re supposed to then go home with a deeper level of trust and closeness than when you first arrived.
There are optional follow-ups via video call to make sure you’re staying on the right track.
Price: From $385 per 80-minute session
Telephone: 6466 8120
Cluny Court outlet
Address: 501 Bukit Timah Road, Cluny Court #04-03 & #03-02, Singapore 259760
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm | Sat 8am-5pm | Sun 9am-4pm (Closed on PHs)
East Coast outlet
Address: 121 Upper East Coast Road, #02-01, Singapore 45524
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am-8pm | Sat 9am-5pm (Closed on Sun & PHs)
3. Relationship Matters
Uses evidence-based and scientifically-proven methods
If you’re the sceptical sort who prefers hard data and research, give Relationship Matters a chance. All their counselling sessions are based on internationally recognised methods formulated by professionals in the field with years of experience – some of these include Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method, both of which have a high success rate.
With these methods, couples will learn how to sort out issues related to intimacy, betrayal, addiction, and communication in a calm and rational manner.
If you’re unable to head down to the clinic, they also provide online counselling sessions on Zoom or Skype at the same rates as regular consultations. These are great for couples who are in a long-distance relationship or are unable to make time to head down to the clinic. No worries for older folks unfamiliar with the video calls – they’ll provide a manual to talk you through as well.
Price: From $190 per 50-minute session
Address: 7500A Beach Road, #07-323 The Plaza, Singapore 199591
Telephone: 9789 6991
4. Olive Branch
Assigns “homework” so couples can reflect and apply learnings
Image credit: Olive Branch
Don’t be surprised if you receive “homework” after your sessions at Olive Branch. These mini assignments are meant to give you a chance to further reflect and apply what you’ve learnt during your sessions – other than in day-to-day dealings with your partner, of course.
Here, the counsellors take an extra effort to build an alliance with their clients so there’s proper trust and understanding between both parties. This makes it easier for couples to air their grievances in a safe space and come to amicable agreements.
Be it sorting out trust and communication, dealing with conflict resolution, or just finding ways to enhance your marriage, you can expect objective and judgement-free advice from their dedicated professionals.
Price: $250 per 80- to 90-minute session
Address: 229 Mountbatten Road, #02-32 Mountbatten Square, Singapore 398007
Opening hours: 9am-10pm, Daily
Telephone: 8322 8861
5. Shan You
Affordable mindfulness-focused sessions at $80
Shan You is equipped to deal with mental health issues and disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and offer counselling services to all groups of people regardless of age and demographic. They also help tackle marital and family problems, with one session lasting about 65 – 70 minutes for couples or families.
The organisation has Buddhist roots, with a focus on approaching all problems with mindfulness. Don’t worry if you’re non-religious or follow a different religion, as they open their doors to all. For families with financial difficulties, they also provide up to full subsidies for their counselling sessions.
Price: from $100 per 60- to 75-minute session.
Address: 5 Upper Boon Keng Road, #02-15, Singapore 380005
Opening hours: Mon, Wed – Fri 9am-6pm | Tues 12pm-9pm (Closed on weekends and PHs)
Telephone: 6741 9293
6. REACH Community Services
Help at every relationship stage and for infidelity issues
Image credit: REACH Community Services
Although they provide counselling for all sorts of problems, REACH Community Services has a special focus on relationships at all stages – be it pre-marriage, for newlyweds, or those who have been together for decades.
Specially designed to facilitate in rebuilding relationships that have been broken through physical and/or emotional cheating, their Torn Asunder Affair Recovery Programme helps couples pinpoint the trigger points leading to infidelity, and provides a proper structure in the recovery process.
Register online and they will get back to you in three working days.
Price: From $80-$120/hour
Find their list of branches.
7. Petra Counselling
Located at Orchard, free first consultation
If you’re still not sure whether counselling is something you want to commit to, sign up for a free initial consultation at Petra Counselling – no obligations, no strings attached. For those who choose to hop on board, you can expect the counsellors to help you pinpoint the root course of the unhappiness in your relationship and assist you in tackling that.
Of course, they don’t just serve couples, but individuals of all groups, from those suffering from depression and anxiety, to families facing child behavioural issues.
A plus point is that the centre is conveniently located along Orchard Road, less than 10 minutes away from the MRT station on foot.
Address: 19 Tanglin Road, #06-43/44 Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore 247909
Opening hours: 10am-6pm, Daily
Telephone: 9100 0432
8. Grace Counselling Centre
Christian centre with option for non-religious counselling and home sessions
Image credit: Grace Counselling Centre
Grace Counselling Centre is a Christian organisation, but you can specifically choose between their Christian and secular counselling services – their doors are open for anyone. They also offer counselling in Mandarin for those who are more comfortable conversing in the language.
For couple counselling, you will undergo three to 12 sessions depending on your complaints and goals for yourselves as a duo. There is the option to have the session at your home for an additional fee if you can’t leave the kids alone or one of you is immobile.
Their blog is well-updated with plenty of articles dating all the way back till 2008 – a good free resource for Christian couples and individuals alike who are seeking some extra insight.
Price: From $250 per 90-minute session
Address: 151 Chin Swee Road, #06-15 Manhattan House, Singapore 169876
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-9pm (Closed on Sundays)
Telephone: 6408 9752
Grace Counselling Centre website
9. The Enneagram Singapore
Affair counselling and free website advice
Counselling is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Which is why The Enneagram Singapore makes use of the Enneagram to help work out each individual’s personality for better understanding of each other. From this, the couple can gain insight into how their own habits can affect the relationship positively or negatively. You’ll also learn ways to strengthen the relationship and maintain healthy sexual intimacy.
Those who are suffering the pain of infidelity-related trauma can engage their Affair Counselling services.
Their website has tons of resources like videos and advice snippets for various relationship problems such as communication issues and feeling stuck. But of course, it’s best to head down for a session to talk to their trained staff in person.
Even if you’re not in need of a counselling session, you can try taking their free relationship trust quiz to see if your marriage has a healthy level of faith and loyalty in it.
Price: $150 for initial 2-hour session. Subsequent sessions at $100 per 60-minutes
Address: Block 87 Commonwealth Close, #01-39, Singapore 140087
Telephone: 9781 5608
The Enneagram Singapore website
10. Singapore Counselling Centre
Option for video counselling available
Image credit: Singapore Counselling Centre
If your marriage is on the rocks and you’ve tried multiple times to fix things but to no avail, Singapore Counselling Centre is here for you. From constant fighting, to getting annoyed by the slightest things your partner does, or feeling like you have nothing in common with each other – they’ll aid you in digging deep to patch up the cracks.
You can also turn to them if you think your spouse might have mental health matters that need to be addressed.
Here, you have the freedom of choosing your counsellor if you wish – you can look up their profiles and level of seniority on their website to see who you think is best suited for you. If you’d rather not have a face-to-face appointment, there’s also the option of booking a video counselling session.
Price: From $246.10 per session
Address: 51 Cuppage Road, #03-03, Singapore 229469
Counselling hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am-8pm | Sat-Sun 9.30am-5pm (Closed on PHs)
Telephone: 6339 5411
Singapore Counselling Centre website
Couple counselling centres in Singapore
Don’t let the potential stigma of counselling stop you – remember that there’s no shame in asking for help. Counsellors are trained to guide people in unpacking their emotions and dealing with any difficulties in the most beneficial way. Certain mountains may be too huge for you to handle, and that’s exactly what these folk are here for.
To those who are currently facing a tough time in their marriage, we hope that one of these counselling centres can help you navigate through everything and smoothen the road ahead.
For more on mental health in Singapore:
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal.
Originally published on 6th April 2021. Last updated by Josiah Neo on 6th June 2022.