Love Dr helping cure sick couples

LOVE PRESCRIPTION: Psychologist Raylene Chen runs a Couple Care program to keep the spark alive.

Damian Dunlop/ Ipswich Queensland Times

IPSWICH couples are being advised to pay regular visits to a local love doctor to give their relationship a health check.

Couple Care, a new initiative by the Ipswich and West Moreton Psychology Clinic, is designed to prevent future marriage counselling by giving couples a 'love tune up'.

The centre's senior clinical psychologist, Dr Rana Woodward, said it was important for couples to keep the spark in their relationship for their mental and physical health.

“Studies have shown that people who are in a good relationship tend to be happier, more successful and live longer than people who are single, separated or in an unhappy relationship,” Dr Woodward said.

Couples attend the clinic, which is a non-profit service, for a two-hour workshop each week for seven weeks.

The sessions will begin late next month, run by psychologist Raylene Chen.

Ms Chen said couples should not wait until there were serious problems with their relationship to seek help.

“This is not marriage counselling,” she said. “This program has been very successful when used in other areas and I think it would be great for a couple to do it every couple of years just to see where the strengths and weaknesses in their relationship are.”

The program, which runs evenings in the Ipswich CBD, covers six skill areas critical to a healthy relationship. At the end of the program, couples will receive a detailed report on the health status of their relationship.

For details call 3813 7077.