Couples Mediation
RECONNECT BEFORE THE WHEELS FALLS OFF
Our lives revolve around our most important relationship.
If your life was a wheel, your marriage (or most intimate relationship) would be at the centre. When it is harmonious, strong and aligned, you cruise around and the ride is smooth. When you hit bumps in the road, you glide over them.
Like anything, without regular maintenance and upkeep, the pressures, wear and tear take their toll, and you see it in the performance. If you don’t heed the warning signs, you can cause irreparable damage, and what could have been an easy fix becomes an expensive overhaul or disastrous blow up with far ranging consequences.
Hi, I'm Alicia
I am a conflict and communication expert. I have been working in mediation and employment law for the past 24 years and I’m now using my skills and abilities to mentor and work with couples that want to feel more connected, introduce a spark to their relationship, and experience the love they once felt for each other.
Marriage coaching is a forward facing approach that focuses on the road ahead. It’s like getting your car serviced, and having the oil and tyres changed. It involves an investment at the time but it prevents costly and dangerous situations arising that you may not even be aware of or shouldn’t be ignored
Marriage coaching can assist you if you’re experiencing:
- struggle and tension in your marriage
- disconnection and dissatisfaction
- an unbalanced relationship
- resentment towards each other
- conflict over parenting styles and issues with children
- feeling taken for granted or misunderstood
- spending issues or other money issues
- potential or actual infidelity
- a major life upheaval such as a renovation, job change or redundancy
Or, you may not be experiencing conflict but may wish to invest in your relationship to create clarity with you and your partner and set yourself up for a strong relationship.
What Is The Marriage Hub?
The Marriage Hub helps couples reconnect and build strong, thriving relationships using practical, forward-facing approaches. This is not about marriage counselling or theory—it’s about real skills and actionable steps to improve your relationship.
Many people invest in their health, homes, or lifestyle but overlook one of the most important areas of life: their marriage. Divorce carries significant financial and emotional costs and can have long-lasting effects. While divorce may sometimes be necessary, many couples have found solutions when it initially seemed impossible. With the right guidance, couples can work through issues and create a positive, fulfilling marriage.
Healthy Communication for a Stronger Marriage
The Marriage Hub supports couples with practical conflict resolution and communication techniques to:
- Identify the key issues in the relationship
- Explore realistic options to improve connection and understanding
- Gain clarity on shared goals, visions, and expectations
- Develop mutual agreements and actionable steps to strengthen the relationship
A strong marriage is not about perfection. Conflict and differences of opinion are normal. The goal is to navigate challenges together in a healthy and constructive way.
Thriving Together Through Life’s Challenges
With over 24 years of experience resolving workplace conflicts, these skills are applied to relationships to help couples move from “surviving” or “struggling” to “thriving.” The process focuses on small adjustments, preventative maintenance, and practical strategies to reconnect, resolve lingering issues, and reignite the spark.
Life is busy. Juggling parenting, work, and home responsibilities can leave couples exhausted and disconnected. The Marriage Hub helps couples create more calm and harmony in their relationship, improving the flow and enjoyment of all areas of life.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If your question is not here, feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to answer it for you!
What is Couples Mediation and Coaching?
As a marriage coach, I help couples to identify their key issues and develop practical ways to move forward and to strengthen and re-spark their connection. It is an opportunity to invest dedicated time to have a “marriage tune up,” to re-negotiate the marriage to increase the contentment of both parties. The process I use is goal and task oriented, time limited and practical. It doesn’t involve counselling or apportioning blame on either party for past or current issues. A joint session takes place after individual sessions.
My approach is practical and uses negotiation techniques to empower the couple to find ways to resolve the issues which are creating conflict in their marriage. It helps couples to renegotiate their relationship to put forward their needs and to communicate more constructively.
I use my mediation, communication and people skills to work with couples to:
- Help you to identify the key issues in your relationship;
- Explore options to make things better;
- Help you get clarity on your shared goals and visions and on your roles and expectations in the marriage; and
- Help you to come up with some mutual agreements with practical steps to put in place in your relationship to move you forward in a positive way.
What types of issues can you help us work through?
- struggle and tension in your marriage
- disconnection and dissatisfaction
- an unbalanced relationship
- resentment towards each other
- feeling taken for granted or misunderstood
- conflict over parenting styles and issues with children
- spending issues or other money issues
- potential or actual infidelity
- a major life upheaval such as a renovation, job change or redundancy
What Couples Mediation and Coaching is not for?
This will not be appropriate for:
- serious mental illnesses
- serious addictions
- domestic violence
- emotional abuse
What if we are not married?
I work with couples who have made commitments to each other, whether through marriage or informally, to be together for their lives.
What's the cost?
I charge by the hour. My hourly rate is $160/hour plus gst (see the “Services” tab).
My corporate workplace mediation rate is $350/hour plus gst, and it is not uncommon for lawyers to charge $500/hour for dispute resolution work (or divorce or family law matters). See my Dumais Workplace Services website for more information on my workplace mediation work. www.dumaisws.com.au
Where do we meet? In person or online
I meet my clients at my consulting room in Glen Iris for face to face sessions or online sessions can be conducted.
Individiual Sessions and a Joint Session
Every couple is different and the extent of time you need will depend on the issues at play.
Usually we need:
- 1-2 individual sessions initially (1.5 hours each)
- 1 joint session where I bring you together (2 hours each)
- follow up sessions with you individually or together as required
$175/hour plus GST
*Additional sessions can be added as needed
BASIC PACKAGE (5 hours) = $750 inc GST
DEEPER PACKAGE (10 hours) = $1450 inc GST
I have a room I hire in Canterbury for face to face sessions or online sessions can be conducted.
NOT SURE
If you’re ready but you’re not sure if your partner will be keen, book in an initial session and we can discuss your issues and work though your next steps that are right for you.
I can also work with you individually to assist you.