For Couples
It is natural and to be expected that couples run into difficulties at times in their romantic, intimate, sexual relationship. This can cause the couple hurt and distress, and great challenge in trying to resolve problems on their own. Relationship therapy can help, by providing the couple with the space to be supported and facilitated to change how they relate to each other and move forward more happily and constructively, or separate amicably.
If the couple is unable to manage differences, conflict, and the inevitable challenges in relating closely, a loss of emotional and physical intimacy likely follows as the couple increasingly argues, feeling separate from and mistrustful of each other. The couple can find themselves living with less love, trust and joy, and more guilt, shame and disappointment.
The gap can be difficult to bridge without professional support, and the couple can feel stuck, sad and embittered, or feel they are spiralling towards a painful breakup.
Why couples come for therapy
Some couples come for relationship therapy because they have reached a crisis point, perhaps after a traumatic event, or because the challenges have been so on-going that they have become hard to bear. These might include:
Ongoing arguing and conflict
Feeling that the relationship is stuck, not moving on and developing
Lack of trust and other emotional difficulties such as feeling jealous, hurt, abandoned, betrayed, misunderstood
Lack of effective communication
Difficulties with intimacy and sex
Affairs, real or fantasy
Issues with wider family, friends, community
Issues around children, including conceiving, parenting
Issues around the practicalities of everyday life, such as finances, the home, work
What couples can get from therapy
With the weekly relationship therapy session I will provide you, the couple, with a safe, supportive space to dedicate to talking about the things which are making your relationship stressful. I will support you to practise ways to overcome these, and to communicate effectively so you can move forward in your relationship. I will give both of you the opportunity to be heard and to hear each other, perhaps in a new way, so you can explore your issues and challenges. I will help you to understand how you are each impacting your relationship. I will support you to learn ways to manage conflicts and differences constructively, and develop more compassionate ways of relating. I will help you to reconnect with your strengths as a couple and build on those so your relationship can grow and be mutually enjoyable.
First step
The first step is for you to contact me by email or phone. We will have a brief chat to see what you are seeking from counselling, and if we have mutually available time to meet. We will arrange an initial assessment session for as soon as possible.
In the initial assessment session you can see how comfortable you feel with me, as we begin to see what brings you to therapy. It’s important that you feel you can trust me and want to work with me.
If we agree to work together, we will continue the therapy once a week, at the same time each week. You may choose to commit to 6 sessions and see if that is enough for you. You may choose to start open-ended.
Let’s Work Together
Please get in touch for a brief chat about what you want from counselling, and to arrange an initial assessment session.