Couple Counselling in Dubai – Rebuilding Connection and Understanding
- Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic
- Oct 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 11
Dubai’s vibrant, fast-paced lifestyle can place tremendous pressure on relationships. Couples living or working in areas such as Dubai Media City, Internet City, Barsha Heights, Dubai Marina, JLT, JBR, Palm Jumeirah, and Knowledge Village often face demanding careers, long commutes, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional expectations. Amid the backdrop of corporate hubs like Google, Microsoft, MBC, CNN, Meta, Amazon, Oracle, PwC, and Deloitte, many partners find themselves emotionally disconnected despite their material success. At Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic in Dubai Media City, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Aju Abraham and his team offer professional couple counselling designed to help partners rebuild communication, understanding, and emotional closeness.
Dubai’s cosmopolitan environment brings people from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds together. While this diversity enriches relationships, it can also lead to misunderstanding, stress, and conflict. Couples seek counselling for many reasons, including:
Work-related stress and burnout spilling into home life
Cross-cultural differences in communication or expectations
Emotional distance or loss of intimacy
Parenting challenges and generational differences
Financial disagreements or career conflicts
Relocation stress, long-distance relationships, or transition to parenthood
Many expatriate couples living near Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and JLT describe the strain of adapting to a new environment while maintaining relationship harmony. Counselling provides a structured, supportive space to process these pressures and find constructive ways forward.
Common Relationship Struggles
In Dubai’s competitive professional ecosystem, emotional disconnection can arise quietly. Partners may become absorbed in corporate demands, social media, or parenting responsibilities, leaving little time for open conversation. Common issues addressed at Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic include:
Communication breakdown and frequent misunderstandings
Trust issues or unresolved past hurts
Lack of emotional support or appreciation
Arguments about work-life balance or digital overuse
Differences in parenting style or extended family involvement
Cultural or religious differences affecting daily interaction
Among the student populations around Knowledge Village — including those studying at American University in Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, University of Wollongong in Dubai, and SAE Institute — relationship and academic stress can sometimes be observed, particularly as young adults adapt to new environments, expectations, and cultural transitions.
How Couple Counselling Helps
Couple counselling provides a neutral, confidential environment for partners to express emotions honestly and safely. The focus is not on assigning blame but on helping each partner understand underlying emotional needs, communication styles, and triggers. Through guided dialogue, partners learn how to listen actively, validate each other’s feelings, and rebuild trust. Therapeutic methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) are often used to promote empathy, perspective-taking, and long-term resilience.
At Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic, counselling sessions are structured to promote positive change while respecting cultural values and confidentiality. Whether partners are married, engaged, or in long-term relationships, therapy helps improve emotional connection, conflict resolution, and mutual understanding.
Retrieve Mind’s Approach to Couple Counselling
Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic integrates psychiatric insight with psychological counselling for a holistic approach to relationship wellbeing. Under the supervision of Dr. Aju Abraham, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director, each couple undergoes an initial assessment to understand the emotional, psychological, and situational factors influencing their relationship.
Therapy may include:
Joint sessions to improve communication and trust
Individual consultations to explore underlying emotional issues
Psychoeducation about relationship dynamics and emotional regulation
Stress management techniques to reduce work-related tension
Guidance for rebuilding intimacy and shared meaning
The clinic’s multidisciplinary team ensures that each couple receives tailored care suited to their cultural background, personality traits, and relational goals.
Who Benefits from Couple Counselling
Couples counselling in Dubai at Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic is suitable for:
Dual-career professionals balancing demanding jobs in Media City, Internet City, and Barsha Heights
Partners living in residential areas such as Dubai Marina, JLT, JBR, and Palm Jumeirah
Newly married couples navigating cultural or lifestyle adjustments
Parents managing work stress and family responsibilities
Long-term partners seeking to rekindle connection and shared purpose
By addressing issues early, couples can prevent resentment and emotional withdrawal from deepening over time. Therapy helps restore emotional safety and create a shared foundation for growth.
When to Seek Help
It may be time to seek professional help if:
Conflicts repeat without resolution
One or both partners feel emotionally unheard or invalidated
Intimacy and affection have diminished
Communication feels tense or is avoided altogether
Life changes (parenthood, relocation, financial stress) have strained the relationship
Anxiety, depression, or burnout is affecting one or both partners
Expected Outcomes of Couple Counselling
Through counselling, couples learn to:
Communicate openly and without defensiveness
Understand emotional triggers and manage conflict respectfully
Rebuild trust and strengthen commitment
Develop healthier coping mechanisms for stress
Reconnect emotionally and physically
Many couples report improved relationship satisfaction and greater resilience within a few weeks of consistent therapy. The process encourages empathy, patience, and long-term emotional awareness.
Dr. Aju Abraham, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director of Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic, brings over 25 years of international experience in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Having worked in the UK NHS and the Middle East, he specializes in helping couples, professionals, and families overcome emotional distress and relational challenges. His approach integrates evidence-based psychiatry with compassionate, culturally attuned communication strategies, ensuring that every couple receives balanced and respectful care.
Location and Accessibility
Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic is conveniently located in Dubai Media City, easily accessible from Dubai Internet City, Barsha Heights, Dubai Marina, JLT, JBR, Palm Jumeirah, and Knowledge Village. The clinic provides a calm and confidential space ideal for couples seeking discreet, professional counselling within Dubai’s business and residential centres.
Seek Professional Help Today
👉 Call or WhatsApp: +971 50 206 6563 / +971 43 99 6919
Written by: Dr. Aju Abraham, MBBS (University of Kerala, India), MRCPSYCH (The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK), Certificate of Completion Of Specialist Training (The Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges, UK), Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Therapy ( University of Durham, UK) Consultant Psychiatrist, Medical Director, Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic (25+ years experience, UK NHS & Middle East)
About the Author
Dr. Aju Abraham is a Consultant Psychiatrist and the Medical Director of Retrieve Mind Poly Clinic, Dubai Media City. He has over 25 years of clinical experience in psychiatry, spanning the UK National Health Service (NHS), Qatar, and the UAE.
His expertise covers adult psychiatry, mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, relationship difficulties, and workplace stress.
Dr. Abraham’s approach integrates evidence-based medicine with a compassionate understanding of modern urban lifestyles. He regularly contributes to mental health awareness across educational and corporate settings in Dubai and Doha.
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