Two people, one conversation
Couples counseling online,
with or without your partner
A 90-minute joint session for Rs. 3,000, by video or audio. If your partner will not attend, you can still come alone.
- Length
- 90 minutes
- Fee
- Rs. 3,000
- Attend
- Together or alone
- Languages
- English · Urdu · Punjabi
Couples counseling at The Bonding Corner is a 90-minute joint online session for Rs. 3,000, held by video or audio call with psychologist Zahid Sohail. Partners can attend together or one partner can attend alone. Sessions run in English, Urdu or Punjabi after a free 10-minute introductory call.
The session
What does a couples session look like?
Both partners describe the situation, usually differently. The counselor’s job is to slow the exchange down enough that each account can be heard without being corrected halfway through, then to name the pattern that both of you are inside.
Ninety minutes is deliberate. An hour tends to end just as the real conversation begins.
Joining from two places
Partners can sit together in one room or join from two locations, which suits couples separated by work or migration.
- Both partners on one device, in one room.
- Two devices, two locations, same session.
- One partner attending alone, with the other’s knowledge.
- Audio only, if either of you prefers it.
Can I come without my partner?
Yes, and it is a common way to start. A session with one partner cannot do joint work, but it can examine your side of a pattern, what you keep doing in response, and what options actually exist.
It is also a realistic route when a partner is unwilling to attend. What it will not do is deliver a verdict on someone who is not in the room, or pass messages between two people.
Common ground
What couples usually bring
The same argument, repeating
Different trigger each time, identical shape. The subject is rarely the actual disagreement.
Distance that crept in
No single event, just less conversation each month until the silence became normal.
Trust after something broke
Whether repair is possible is a real question, and it is allowed to stay open for several sessions.
Pressure from outside the marriage
In-laws, money, children, migration. The couple is arguing about the pressure, not about each other.
Fees
What does it cost?
Introductory call
Free
10 minutes, first-time clients
- Either partner can make it
- Check fit and format
- No obligation
Couple session
Rs. 3,000
90 minutes
- Together or one partner alone
- Video or audio
- English · Urdu · Punjabi
If you attend alone as an individual client instead, the individual rate of Rs. 2,000 for 60 minutes applies. Both are listed on the fees page.
Packages
Couple session packages
A single couple session is Rs. 3,000 for 90 minutes. A package brings the price per session down the further ahead you book.
3 sessions
Rs. 7,650
Rs. 2,550 a session
Save 15% · Rs. 1,350
- 3 sessions of 90 minutes
- Same psychologist every time
- Video or audio, booked as you go
6 sessions
Rs. 14,400
Rs. 2,400 a session
Save 20% · Rs. 3,600
- 6 sessions of 90 minutes
- Same psychologist every time
- Video or audio, booked as you go
10 sessions
Rs. 22,500
Rs. 2,250 a session
Save 25% · Rs. 7,500
- 10 sessions of 90 minutes
- Same psychologist every time
- Video or audio, booked as you go
Couple packages can also be used for family sessions, which run at the same 90-minute length and the same rate. See all packages compared.
When is couples counseling not appropriate?
There are situations where joint sessions are the wrong tool, and saying so early matters more than taking the booking.
- Where one partner is being hurt, controlled or threatened. Safety comes first, and joint sessions can make things more dangerous.
- Where one partner is attending under pressure rather than by choice.
- Where the purpose is to have a third party declare who is right.
- Where untreated severe symptoms in one partner need medical attention first.
If any of these apply, an individual session or a referral is the more useful next step.
Who wrote this
Written by Zahid Sohail
Psychologist and founder of The Bonding Corner. MSc and PGD in Applied Psychology, more than 15 years in practice, working in English, Urdu and Punjabi.
Last reviewed:
This page is general information, not a diagnosis, and counseling does not replace medical care. About Zahid Sohail · Mental health words in Urdu
What the research says
- A review of a decade of research found couple therapy helped around 70% of couples who received it, with results comparable to individual therapy. [1]
- A 2018 systematic review comparing guided internet-based and face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy found the two formats gave broadly equivalent results, while noting more research is still needed for some conditions. [2]
References
[1] Lebow JL, Chambers AL, Christensen A, Johnson SM. Research on the treatment of couple distress. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2012. europepmc.org
[2] Carlbring P, Andersson G, Cuijpers P, Riper H, Hedman-Lagerlöf E. Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 2018. europepmc.org
If you are thinking about ending your life or are in danger now, call Rescue 1122 or Police 15, or Umang’s 24-hour helpline on 0311 7786264. Online counseling is not an emergency service. All helplines in Pakistan.
Questions, answered
Questions people ask.
Can couples therapy be done online?
Yes. Couple sessions at The Bonding Corner run 90 minutes by video or audio call for Rs. 3,000. Partners can join from the same room or from two locations, which suits couples separated by work or migration.
What if we start arguing during the session?
Disagreement during a session is normal and useful information. The counselor’s job is to slow the exchange down so both people can be heard rather than to declare a winner.
How much is a couples counseling session?
Rs. 3,000 for 90 minutes. Couple packages bring that down: 3 sessions for Rs. 7,650, 6 for Rs. 14,400 and 10 for Rs. 22,500, which is Rs. 2,550, Rs. 2,400 and Rs. 2,250 a session.
What happens in a first couples session?
Both people describe what has been happening, usually differently, and the session is used to find the pattern underneath rather than to decide who is right. No verdict is issued at the end of it.
Can couples counseling be done by audio only?
Yes. Couple sessions run by video or audio call. Audio only uses far less data and suits households where a video call would be conspicuous.
Explore further
Where would you like to go next?
You do not need to agree on the problem to start.
Most couples arrive with two different accounts of the same week. That is workable.