Divorce rates are rising, but one local marriage counsellor has found an unconventional solution: making couples assemble his IKEA furniture.
The unconventional approach was first trialled with Andrew and Karen Stokes, a couple who have been in therapy for over a year with no sign of progress. Frustrated with the usual tactics, Dr Hooper put their commitment to the ultimate test—the Gnedby, IKEA’s notorious bookshelf.
“Dr Hooper mentioned he had some assembly work to do before the session and casually asked if we could help out,” Andrew said, visibly sweating at the mere mention of the Gnedby. “We figured, why not? We’re already paying $200 an hour to discuss our feelings, so what’s a bit of manual labour?”
Within minutes, the couple found themselves knee-deep in screws, allen keys, and vague instructions.
“I thought therapy was about understanding each other’s needs,” Karen said. “Turns out it’s about not murdering your partner with an allen key.”
Meanwhile, Dr Hooper observed from his recliner, sipping a cappuccino and occasionally reminding the couple to use their ‘inside voice’ when Andrew blamed Karen for the missing bits right under his nose.
“That bookshelf will look great in my study,” Dr Hooper told The Bendigo Standard.
The couple is considering opening their own IKEA furniture assembly business to supplement their therapy costs.
