About couples therapy
Couples therapy helps partners improve communication, handle conflict, rebuild trust after a crisis or make decisions together, including separation. Sessions are usually joint, sometimes with individual meetings. It is not about deciding who is right but about understanding the patterns between you.
Therapist is the everyday word for a professional who offers talking therapy: depending on the country it can be a psychologist, a psychotherapist, a licensed counsellor, a marriage and family therapist or a clinical social worker. Profiles show each therapist’s actual title, training and registration.
Getting mental health care in South Africa
Public health system · Public health system
Mental health care is available through public clinics and hospitals, usually starting at a primary health care clinic.
How to check that a professional is licensed
- Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Psychologists, registered counsellors and psychometrists must be registered with the HPCSA; check the category and status on the HPCSA register. Search the official register
- Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Psychiatrists are medical practitioners registered with the HPCSA in the psychiatry specialty. Search the official register
Urgent help in South Africa
If your life or someone else's is in danger, call the emergency number now. These services can help at any time:
- 10177 · Ambulance and fire
- 0800 567 567 · SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline
- 0861 322 322 · LifeLine South Africa – Trauma & Crisis Line
Information reviewed in November 2026 · Sources: hpcsa.co.za
Signs to look out for
All couples argue. It may be time to seek help when the same arguments repeat without resolution, conversations quickly turn into criticism or silence, you feel lonely within the relationship, affection or sex have faded and that worries you, trust has been broken, or a big change such as a baby, illness or a move has unbalanced things. Considering separation is also a reason to talk.
What helps: treatments and professionals
Couples therapy approaches with good evidence include emotionally focused therapy, integrative behavioural couple therapy, cognitive-behavioural couples therapy and the Gottman method. Couples therapists, psychologists and psychotherapists with couples training usually lead the work, and a sex therapist can help when sexual concerns are central. Therapy can help couples reconnect, or separate with less damage, especially when children are involved.
When to seek urgent help
If there is physical violence, threats, sexual coercion, or you feel afraid of your partner, your safety comes first: contact your local emergency services if you are in immediate danger, and seek specialised support for domestic violence. Couples therapy is not recommended in these situations. Seek urgent help too if anyone has thoughts of suicide or harming others.
What you can do in the meantime
Choose calm moments to talk about difficult topics, rather than in the middle of an argument. Try to describe how you feel and what you need, instead of criticising. Take a break if things escalate and agree to come back to it. Make time for small moments of connection. Reading reliable information on relationships together can also open useful conversations.
What does a therapist do?
A therapist helps you talk through what is worrying you and find practical ways to feel and cope better. In sessions they listen, ask questions, help you notice patterns in your thoughts, emotions and relationships, and agree goals with you. Depending on their training they may use cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, systemic, psychodynamic or other evidence-based approaches, with individuals, couples, families or groups.
When to see a therapist
It makes sense to look for a therapist when stress, anxiety, low mood, grief, relationship problems, a difficult change or the effects of past experiences start to weigh on your daily life, or when you simply want space to understand yourself better. If symptoms are severe, you may need medication or there are signs of a medical cause, involve your doctor or a psychiatrist as well.
How to choose
When choosing, check the licence and training, the approach they use and whether they have experience with what you need. Consider practical aspects too: language, price, location or online sessions and availability. The relationship with the professional matters a great deal; if after a few sessions it does not feel right, it is fine to change.
Frequently asked questions
Does the public health system in South Africa cover psychological care?
Mental health care is available through public clinics and hospitals, usually starting at a primary health care clinic.
How do I check that a therapist is licensed in South Africa?
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA): Psychologists, registered counsellors and psychometrists must be registered with the HPCSA; check the category and status on the HPCSA register.