Farhana Goga | Psychologist in Johannesburg & Online |
Individual Therapy & Couples Therapy
Psychologist in Rosebank, Jhb Couples Therapy
change how you communicate, respond, relate
Farhana Goga Psychologist in Rosebank, Melrose, Sandton
You still care about each other.
That's not the question.
The question is why the same conversation keeps happening. Why the same argument ends the same way.
Why there's distance between you that neither of you fully knows how to cross.
Most couples don't get stuck because they've stopped caring. They get stuck because the patterns of how they respond to each other — under stress, in conflict, in moments of disconnection — have become automatic.
And automatic patterns are hard to interrupt, no matter how much insight you have.
Couples therapy creates the space to slow that down, understand what's actually happening between you, and begin changing how you relate — not just how you communicate.
Before scheduling a session, please email me: farhana@farhana-goga.com to see if I have availability for a couple. I only take on 4 couples at a time, unless we commit to an intensive.
Couples Therapy in Jhb, and Online
My couple therapy clients:
Are ready to take responsibility for their part of the relationship. They are ready to do their individual healing (as needed) as well as to learn to stay in discomfort for the benefit of the relationship and connection.
Couples therapy is not for the faint-hearted.
I will challenge you.
I will try to deeply understand you, and help you deeply understand your partner
You will be challenged to see yourself as a team and lean into what is best for the connection and dreams you hold.
What Brings Couples Here:
Some couples arrive in crisis. If this is you, you need to understand that this is not crisis management. Couples Therapy does not work in crisis. Therapy is slower than life and needs time and patience. If you are willing to give it this, and do the inner work and then the relational work, then come to see me.
Others arrive because they're committed to the relationship and know something needs to shift before it becomes a crisis. Or they want a better, stronger, more connected relationship.
Others still are navigating a transition — a new baby, a blended family, a career change, a growing apart — and want support doing it well.
What this Work Requires
This isn't about fixing your partner.
It requires both of you to show up — to the relationship, and to understanding your own role within it. Because relationships don't shift through insight alone.
They shift when the patterns of interaction between two people actually change.
They shift through changing your perceptions, and reactions and behaviours, they shift through leaning into the relationship and connection, rather than fear.
If you are unsure if you want to be in the relationship, you need to let your partner know, so they have choice. I do not do therapy for couples if one partner is unsure.
Before scheduling a session, please email me: farhana@farhana-goga.com to see if I have availability for a couple. I only take on 4 couples at a time, unless we commit to an intensive.
Ways To Work Together
For couples ready for meaningful change, I offer three ways to work together. What they have in common: commitment is the foundation. The couples who get the most from this work are the ones who show up fully — to the sessions, and to each other.
Before scheduling a session, please email me: farhana@farhana-goga.com to see if I have availability for a couple. I only take on 4 couples at a time, unless we commit to an intensive.
There may be situations that I will suggest individual therapy first, and then we can resume couples therapy. All of this is informed through the intake process.
The 1 day Couples Intensive:
For couples who want to work through something specific, or begin understanding what's really happening in the relationship.
We look at how you're currently responding to each other, what's driving the conflict or disconnection, and create real movement forward. R10,500
The 2 day Couples Intensive
A deeper, structured process following the Encounter-Centred Couples Transformation framework — designed to create significant shifts in how you experience each other and the relationship.
Over two days, we work through how each partner processes experience, how those responses interact, and how to engage more connectedly and effectively.
A written report is included. R20,000
One couple described it: "It was a profound experience to cross over the bridge and experience my partner's view. I will always be forever changed."
Another was more direct: "The 2-day intensive is not for the faint-hearted. Your relationship has to be more important than your ego."
100 Minutes Twice a Month
he 100-minute format works at two points in the journey.
For some couples, the intensives feel like a big first step — and that's okay. Two extended sessions a month is a gentler way to begin: enough depth to do real work, enough space between sessions to let it settle.
For others, the intensive has already created a shift — and now the work is about living it. The 100-minute sessions become the place to embody what changed, go deeper into what surfaced, and make the new patterns stick. R3,500 per session
How We Begin
We start with an intake process: one joint session, one individual session with each partner, and a joint feedback session. This gives a clear picture of the relationship and how best to proceed.
From there, we may move into ongoing joint sessions, individual sessions, intensives, or a combination — depending on what the relationship needs.
In some cases, individual work is recommended before joint sessions begin. (As one couple shared: "The individual sessions allowed us to shift our own patterns so that when we did the joint work, we were much more willing to listen — and could actually hear each other.")
Therapeutic Approach
I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Gottman Method, Encounter-Centred Couples Transformation, Brainspotting, BWRT, and Systemic Constellation work — depending on what the relationship needs.
The focus isn't only on communication. It's on changing how you listen and respond to each other, particularly in the moments that matter most.
Understanding Relationship Patterns
Every relationship develops patterns.
These patterns are shaped by:
-
how each partner responds under stress
-
how emotions are expressed (or avoided)
-
how past experiences influence current reactions
When these responses interact, they can create cycles of:
-
conflict
-
withdrawal
-
misunderstanding
-
or disconnection
Most couples are not struggling because they don’t care.
They are stuck in patterns that feel automatic — and difficult to interrupt in the moment.
Therapy focuses on helping both partners recognise and shift these patterns, so different interactions become possible.
Before scheduling a session, please email me: farhana@farhana-goga.com to see if I have availability for a couple. I only take on 4 couples at a time, unless we commit to an intensive.
Who I Work With
My clients are often:
-
Professionals and leaders under high pressure, who want to live impactful, effectively and be fulfilled in all areas of life
-
Individuals seeking healing, depth, and personal growth
-
Couples navigating conflict, betrayal, or disconnection
-
People ready to commit to medium- or long-term therapy for lasting results
💼 Therapy in Rosebank or Online
Sessions are best done in person at my practice in Rosebank, though online is available where needed.
Fees: My standard and actual dee for a 50 min session is R1750.
The intake sessions are R1750 each. 4x50 min sessions are required for this.
1-Day Intensive: R10,500
2-Day Intensive: R20,000
Bi-monthly sessions (R3,500 / 100 min) or 3-hour intensives (R5,500). I do not offer 50 min sessions for couples except for the intake process.
Before scheduling a session, please email me: farhana@farhana-goga.com to see if I have availability for a couple. I only take on 4 couples at a time, unless we commit to an intensive.
What Couples Say:
Couple 3
We were advised to have individual sessions with Farhana before we embarked on our couples journey. The individual sessions allowed us to shift our own patterns and perceptions, so when we did the joint session, we were much more willing to listen, and could self-regulate, which allowed us to co-regulate - a term I had not heard of before.