Couples & Marriage Counselling in Malaysia
Find Your Therapist
We encourage you to visit each TYHO Malaysia psychotherapist’s profile. We have Therapists who provide marriage counselling, couples therapy, and family therapy in Malaysia.
Please click the ‘Find More Psychotherapists’ button to see more profiles.
Xin Qi
Xin Qi works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, anger management, loneliness, and life transitions.
Starting from RM 180
TYHO Counselling Services in Malaysia
Relationship Counselling
Couples Counselling
Marriage Counselling
Relationship Counselling
Relationship Counselling
Relationship counselling in Malaysia is a service we offer to help you improve the bond, affection, trust, and understanding in your romantic relationships.
By working with a counsellor in Malaysia, you and your partner can explore communication issues, work on your strengths as a couple, and resolve complicated conflicts such as financial issues or frequent arguments.
Setting realistic couple goals can be hard without proper guidance and awareness of what works and what doesn’t in your relationship.
Hence, at TYHO, your counsellor will help you at any stage of a relationship – either by setting goals or helping you prepare for entering the next phase in your relationship (eg, moving in together).
You can also learn empathy, conflict resolution techniques, and assertiveness through relationship counselling in Malaysia.
Common issues online relationship counsellors at TYHO can help with include:
- Trust issues
- Lack of communication
- Experiencing less or no sexual attraction
- Difficulty making decisions together
- Unhealthy or toxic patterns of interactions (eg blaming)
- Dealing with a jealous partner
- Unrealistic expectations (eg wanting your partner to ‘save you’)
- Lack of support
- Manipulation
Couples Counselling
Couples Counselling
At TYHO, we provide online couples counselling in Malaysia to help you improve your relationship. You may work on your relationship with your counsellor through structured dialogue and therapeutic tools.
For example, TYHO counsellors may use evidence-based techniques such as the Gottman method to help you manage relationship problems that might occur due to external stressors.
Such factors could include issues like work-related stress, one or both partners struggling with a mental health condition (eg post-traumatic stress disorder) or experiencing long-lasting grief.
Note: Grief counselling can help you if you find it hard to navigate or understand your grief. Alternatively, you can also seek both couples counselling with your partner and grief counselling individually.
By learning therapeutic tools such as love maps (eg learning more about your partner), you can manage conflicts, increase emotional intimacy, and minimise unhelpful patterns such as criticism and blame-shifting.
Common issues TYHO couples counsellors in Malaysia can help with include:
- Communication issues
- Lack of emotional or physical intimacy
- Sex-related issues
- Lack of honesty and trust
- Frequent arguments or disagreements related to finance
- Infidelity
- Controlling behaviours
- Issues in the extended families
- Feeling lonely in the relationship
Marriage Counselling
Marriage Counselling
During marriage counselling, you can attend sessions individually or with your spouse. Most of the time, your counsellor may suggest having sessions together.
The type of therapy used by your marriage counsellor would usually depend on the situation, intensity of the issue, and your personal and joint (yours and your spouse’s) goals.
According to the Marriage and Divorce Statistics, in 2022, the number of marriages in Malaysia increased by 15.4 per cent from 186,297 (2020) to 214,943 (2021). On the other, nearly 43934 couples in Malaysia ended their marriage in 2021.
The statistics show that, regardless of the issue or cause, marriage counselling can help you prepare for marriage with all the new roles and responsibilities (pre-marital counselling) or help couples navigate the divorce process.
TYHO marriage counsellors in Malaysia are all highly qualified (with a minimum of master’s in counselling) and can provide you with a space to talk openly and honestly.
During sessions, you can expect to receive unconditional support, insights into your marriage, and learn more about your individual and couple’s strengths and weaknesses.
At TYHO, marriage counsellors can help you with issues such as:
- Lack of communication
- Issues with in-laws or extended families
- Parental and caregiver stress
- Lack of intimacy
- Disrespecting boundaries or being irresponsible (eg not taking care of children)
- Personal, academic, or work-related stress
- Financial issues
- Pregnancy-related issues
- Trauma, grief, or dealing with ageing
Getting Started with Couples &
Marriage Counselling
If you frequently face distress in your relationship, it can be extremely damaging to you and your partner’s wellbeing.
Relationships that lack trust, honesty, affection, and communication can also take a severe emotional toll on all those involved.
Research based on The Gottman Institute shows that only 19% of couples seek relationship counselling. Research also indicates that, on average, couples usually wait for six whole years before seeking professional help for their issues.
A common reason why couples may hesitate to reach out for help is due to the societal stigma and shame attached to mental health, including couples’ mental health.
However, even early research shows that offline or online relationship counselling can create a positive change for almost 70% of couples who are still together. The same research also proves that these changes actually last for a long time.
Remember that your problem does not have to be severe, and you can be at any stage of the relationship while getting help.
Below are some of the most common signs that you or your partner may benefit from relationship counselling:
- Frequent conflicts and unhealthy patterns of communication
- Emotional disconnect and loneliness
- Falling out of love (eg you are not in love with your partner)
- Disregarding or avoiding your partner’s wellbeing
- Extreme dependency or avoidance (eg having an insecure attachment)
- Lack of sexual desire and intimacy
- Issues due to abuse, non-consensual affairs, and addictions (eg alcohol, drugs, porn)
- Being in a relationship with a narcissist
- Frequent arguments on finances and household chores
- Chronic and undiagnosed anxiety or depression
- Difficulty in trusting your partner due to childhood trauma
Note: If you experience emotional or physical abuse in a relationship, please seek immediate help. Visit our resources page to find help if you are in a crisis.
Couples counselling in Malaysia is not only for those having issues in the relationship. In fact, at TYHO, we recommend seeking therapy even for couples amidst life changes and transitions, such as moving in together for the first time or getting married.
Counsellors at TYHO also provide pre-marital counselling to help you prepare for the new chapter in your life. Pre-marital counselling could include setting expectations for marriage, creating mutual goals, identifying each other’s strengths, and deciding on the marriage roles and responsibilities.
The above-mentioned transitions are all key points in a relationship where you may notice a change in the way you interact, connect or communicate with your partner.
Very often, these changes may be subtle and lead to distress in a relationship if even one partner is unaware or finds it difficult to understand the new changes.
Hence, to avoid any future conflict, it might help to reevaluate the dynamics of your relationship in a guided and non-judgmental environment.
If either of you in a relationship wants to work on something or feel that you might benefit from some professional support, then you can seek couples counselling.
Finding a good couples Therapist means talking to someone you both trust. Therefore, request your partner to work with you and look for someone you both prefer.
Visit each counsellor’s profile and read about issues they can help with. You can also watch their short videos (click the video icon near the counsellor’s picture) to better understand them.
Once you find someone you both like, you can book a session and ask questions related to therapy in Malaysia, your counsellor’s background, or other concerns you may have.
You can benefit from marriage counselling even if you are not in a conflict with your spouse. There are no specific reasons or rules for when you should seek professional help.
You can seek marriage counselling in Malaysia if you face problems in communicating, feeling unhappy in the marriage, or going through a significant transition, such as deciding to have children.
Similarly, you can also opt for family counselling with TYHO if you already have children and need support managing issues in your family.
In online marriage counselling, you can learn several therapeutic tools to resolve conflicts, understand parental roles, and work on issues such as emotional disconnect.
Most married couples do not seek help due to the fear of stigma and judgement from those around them. However, handling everything on your own can very quickly become overwhelming and avoiding problems will not make it disappear on its own.
You can benefit from marriage counselling even if you experience distress due to external factors such as work stress, caregiver stress, domestic abuse, trauma and physical health issues, grief, and loneliness.
Additionally, marriage counsellors in Malaysia can help you if either you or your spouse are suffering from a mental health issue such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) or chronic depression.
Alternatively, you might want to learn more about individual counselling. Here, a Malaysian psychologist may help you with your personal issues, such as low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
Couples Therapy & Marriage Counselling: What to Expect
Attending your first counselling session as a couple might be unfamiliar or uncomfortable. TYHO couple counsellors know the different concerns and challenges couples may face before their first sessions.
Hence, be assured that your counsellor will completely understand your hesitation and provide the space and time for you to become comfortable.
It might help you to know what to expect from your couples or marriage counselling sessions.
This section provides information to improve your couples therapy experience with us.
Here, you can learn more about:
- How couples therapy works
- What you can expect
Marriage & Couples Counselling Malaysia
Psychotherapy Services
In the section below, you will find information about the mental health issues we help with and marriage counselling, couples counselling, and family counselling in Malaysia. Click on the link for each service to read more!
Depression Counselling
Our counsellors will help you manage emotions, overcome sadness, and help you rediscover joy in life.
Therapy Services
TYHO Therapists are vetted for their compassion, expertise, and commitment to your well-being and growth.
Psychologists
Experts can help you manage stress and worry, and learn scientific tools to increase calmness and resilience.
Counsellors
Explore the root causes of your issues, and learn therapeutic tools for personal development.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to research, almost 70% of couples who seek couples counselling benefit from it. In fact, studies show that couples therapy can improve your coping mechanisms, make you independent in solving relationship issues and also help you with mental health challenges.
No relationship is perfect, and couples may experience issues at any stage or phase in their life.
Hence, rather than ‘fixing’ a relationship, TYHO counsellors can help you gain interpersonal skills to make you self-reliant in solving issues that may arise in the future (eg you may become adept at handling issues like narcissistic gaslighting in a relationship).
At its core, the goal of relationship counselling in Malaysia is to learn skills that will help you work through your differences and solve issues more effectively.
However, for couples therapy to work, both you and your partner may have to be open-minded about seeking help and learn to look at each other’s behaviours and actions more objectively.
To find a marriage counsellor near you, please visit this link: https://app.talkyourheartout.com/.
Here, you can look for a marriage counsellor in Malaysia based on several factors, such as:
- Issues
- Gender
- Language
- Service Type
- Medium
For example, if you and your spouse prefer a female psychotherapist in Malaysia, you can select the option ‘Female’ under the section ‘Gender’. Doing so will automatically present you with all the female marriage counsellors.
Moreover, you can visit each counsellor’s full profile and read about their qualifications, expertise, issues they can help with, and therapeutic approaches to find the best match.
In the short videos, TYHO counsellors also talk a little about their experiences and share what you can expect during sessions with them. Watch the videos to gain more information.
You can shortlist a few marriage counsellors with your spouse and change the professional whenever you or your spouse feels uncomfortable.
Please reach out to us via email at [email protected] or WhatsApp us (click the WhatsApp icon in the bottom right) if you need help selecting a marriage counsellor in Malaysia.
Yes, you can get an online marriage counsellor in Malaysia! At TYHO, we have marriage counsellors who offer both audio and video online therapy sessions.
In each counsellor’s profile, you can see if they offer audio, video, or both types of therapy.
You may exchange dialogue with your counsellor on calls during online audio sessions. On the other hand, you can opt for video counselling if you are comfortable with being present on screen.
We recommend video sessions for marriage counselling as seeing you and your spouse on screen can give your counsellor a better picture of who you are based on various factors such as body language, interaction with your spouse, and eye contact.
The duration of couples counselling at TYHO is 60 minutes.
The frequency of therapy can depend on your issues and your counsellor’s suggestion.
Some couples may start to notice changes after a few months of regular therapy sessions.
These couples may wish to terminate therapy after solving their specific issues or may plan on continuing sessions to work on other issues, like developing healthier relationships with their partner’s families.
On the other hand, some couples may even take several years to progress. How soon or fast you notice changes does not say anything about you or your relationship.
For example, if you are only available twice a month for therapy, your pace may be slower than couples seeking therapy weekly.
Hence, how long couples counselling lasts depends on several factors, such as:
- The intensity of your issues
- Your willingness to seek therapy regularly
- Your partner’s willingness to seek therapy regularly
- Your therapy and couples goals
- Couples counsellors suggestions
- The type of therapeutic approach
No, a marriage counsellor does not take sides. Both you and your spouse are a client during therapy.
Hence, it means that there is no ‘right or wrong’ in your relationship, and your counsellor cannot (and will not) pick one person to blame.
During marriage counselling, your counsellor will consider both parties’ needs, regardless of your relationship history.
However, the only exception is if there is abuse in any form – if that is the case, your counsellor may recommend you seek help from a crisis organisation.
At TYHO, we hold all our marriage counsellors in Malaysia to a high standard. We select only professionals who strongly align with our core values, including being empathetic, open-minded, and sensitive to multicultural backgrounds.
Hence, please be assured that your needs will be validated during therapy equally, and your counsellor will often refuse to pick sides.
A partner not wanting to seek couples therapy is a frequent and common issue.
If your partner is hesitant or unwilling to try marriage counselling, try sitting down with them and explain why exactly you want to seek therapy and how you imagine it will help you both.
Explain that your need for therapy is not in any way linked to their actions and that you wish the best for both in the relationship.
If your partner is still unwilling, suggest attending counselling only for 3 sessions or even just one session.
Ask your partner about what aspects of therapy make them uncomfortable, and write down the key points.
During the trial session, you can present these questions to your counsellor and seek their help to brief your partner about the couple’s therapy.
Alternatively, you can also try individual counselling in Malaysia. Try sharing your progress and experiences with your partner, which might help them become more familiar with the process.
However, if your partner’s concerns are about confidentiality, assure them that all sessions at TYHO are highly confidential and private.
We protect your data through secure servers and transactions. Additionally, we follow the HIPAA guidelines to ensure strict privacy.
