We Can Help You Overcome Challenges
People come to relationship counselling for different reasons. These can be because they are experiencing challenges in their relationship, would like to learn some skills in how to communicate better with each other, their relationship feels like it has become stuck, one issue keeps popping up, and they would like a third party to help them negotiate a concern.
Relationship & Couples Counselling in Sydney
Relationship counselling includes relationships such as defacto, marriage, dating, thinking about getting married, friends, roommates, and other such relationships.
Pre-Marital Counselling
In almost all marriage related issues, the factors that cause tension were already evident in the early stages of the relationship prior to taking marriage vowels. The tendency we have is to dismiss these irritations thinking we will just get used to them or they will get easier with time. But what actually happens, is that these niggling annoyances are prone to get harder to bear, the issues can get worse, and the relationship can lead down the road to heartache and divorce.
The importance of pre-marital counselling is to help start your marriage on strong foundations that will give your marriage the best chance to succeed.
In pre-marriage counselling we identify what these issues are and work through them with you before they become harder to resolve. In our sessions we help to highlight potential future risk factors for your relationship whilst also fostering healthy patterns of communication and conflict resolution.
How Kerry Can Help You
Our philosophy is that your relationship is our client and we work tirelessly with you to help strengthen your relationship and help it flourish without taking sides.
We do this through providing a confidential, safe, accepting and encouraging atmosphere where you can both have the freedom to openly share and find direction and healing.
Sessions are usually 1 hour and 20 minutes to provide each person a chance to speak without feeling rushed as well as providing time to repair and restore your relationship.
Your Clinical Counsellor
Kerry Kostinsky Verlingieri
M. Counselling, Grad. Dip. Divinity, B. Science
We have all been hurt before, some of us more deeply than others, and as I spoke to the people who crossed my path I was deeply saddened to discover just how many people live in constant pain. This is what motivated me to drastically change the direction of my career and pursue a new pathway. My hope is that I can look back on my life’s work and see that I was able to use my life to walk with people who have experienced sadness, hurt and conflict to find freedom, healing, enjoyment of life and peace.
I initially completed my studies at The University of Sydney and engaged in a successful career as a medical and veterinary Microbiologist.
It was during this time I found myself actively involved in helping troubled adolescents through the struggles they were facing. Now, almost 20 years later, I am still working with teenagers and have found this to be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. I am still in contact with many of the teens that I have supported, and seeing the lives they now have with their own families, children and careers has been amazing. Many of them have completely changed the trajectory of their lives and I could not be prouder of them.
A couple of years into working with adolescents, I found that my passion to see people overcome their challenges grew from teens to everyone and I discovered I was able to relate to and reach people from different backgrounds, age groups and cultures. I decided to resign from Microbiology in order to complete a Master of Counselling at Morling College majoring in Relationship Counselling and Focussed Individual Counselling for Children, Adolescents and Adults.
Since then I have had over a decade of counselling experience, I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with PACFA, and have completed further studies focussing in Art Therapy, Trauma and Grief, Parenting, Somatic Therapy, Marriage Counselling, End of Life Counselling, and Mental Health Disorders.
Operating in one of the most culturally diverse areas of Sydney, I have had the utmost honour to be entrusted with the struggles of people from different backgrounds, religions, cultures and worldviews. In this, I feel especially privileged and thankful. As such, my approach to therapy is tailored to suit what works best for you. I do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach, but I engage with various counselling techniques that work best with the struggles you are facing, your personality and what you are most comfortable with.
I relate with everyone in a non-judgemental, kind and respectful way that won’t make you feel uncomfortable, belittled or pressured, all while gently and honestly working with you to manage the reality of the situation you are facing.
I have also experienced hardship in life and my approach to counselling is one of a beggar showing another beggar where to find food. I don’t see myself as any better than anyone else. I am just somebody who is in the room sharing with you what I have found can be helpful and healing.
I believe that hope can be found regardless of whatever is hurting you, and together we can work to bring renewed hope and lasting change to your situation.
Our Values
Hope
There is no life without hope. Hope is the lifeblood in every counselling relationship. It is what gives us confidence that we can keep going, move on and that a better life is ahead.
Truth
Often the things that have caused the deepest wounds in our lives have been based on lies that others have told us or lies that we have believed about ourselves. It is only when we see the truth that these lies lose their power and we are able to move forward.
Love
Hurt people hurt others and they hurt themselves. There is unbelievable strength found in love. We will be at our happiest when we learn how to truly love ourselves and others.
Integrity
Integrity means we are the same person irrespective of who we are with. We aim to be so comfortable with ourselves, our personality, our convictions, beliefs and our physical appearance that irrespective of who we are with we will stay faithful to who we really are.
Enjoyment of Life
Life is not meant to be lived in drudgery but is meant to be enjoyed. Our aim is to find beauty and enjoyment in all aspects of life and no longer be held back by our past.