There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Couples Therapy Australia; it is simply not as good as Couples Therapy US. We see a similar waiting room, similar therapeutic space set up for the program, and couples with similar issues and dynamics that we see in the original version.
The biggest difference is the therapist, and she does not come with a dog this time. Marryam is an extremely competent therapist. In fact, I would want her as my therapist. She is so warm, welcoming, empathic and expressive, that one can sense the drain on her to be so generous and giving. But I also sense that she is inexperienced in couples therapy or at least not well-suited.
Marryam addresses each half of the couple separately and she makes this clear by insisting on a physical space between the couple sitting on the couch. It was uncomfortable watching her dissuade a husband from consoling his teary wife as he slinked across to hold her hand. This is in contrast to Orna, who allows the scene to unfold organically, while deftly shifting focus from one half of the couple to the other in a quiet harmony.
There is a noticeable absence of circular questions in Marryam's approach. When she highlighted that Cat's way of expression is preventing her from getting her needs met by her husband, she did not ask Cat to consider how her words could be perceived by him. This is fundamental in getting the couple to appreciate each other's perspective. Hence this Australian series suffers from not having a true couples therapist like Orna.
