Discernment Counselling is a short-term, structured process designed for couples in which one or both partners are considering divorce or separation and feel uncertain about the future of the relationship. It is specifically created to help couples gain clarity and confidence about next steps, rather than immediately focusing on repairing the relationship.

This approach is different from traditional couples counselling. If one or both partners are unsure about staying in the relationship, regular couples therapy is often not the right starting point. Instead, discernment counselling helps each partner slow down and make sense of what has happened in the relationship, what each person has contributed to the current challenges, and what possible paths forward exist.

During discernment counselling, three possible paths are explored:

Path 1: Stay the same.
Continue the relationship as it currently is, without making changes or entering further structured work.

Path 2: Separate or divorce.
Move toward separation with intention and clarity, including thoughtful conversations about how to do this respectfully, how it may impact children (if applicable), and how to avoid decisions driven by conflict, recent arguments, or emotional reactivity.

Path 3: Commit to a time-limited effort to repair.
Agree to a defined period (typically up to six months) of focused couples counselling, with separation or divorce taken off the table during that time. This is not a lifelong commitment to staying together, but rather an intentional effort to fully explore whether the relationship can be repaired with support and effort from both partners.