Beginning any form of  therapy can be daunting, but in my experience people find it more challenging to start couple counselling than individual therapy. It’s difficult to be open and vulnerable in front of your partner, especially if a wall of mistrust has built up between you. In addition, you may worry that the truth will upset your partner and make a bad situation even worse. There is usually concern from one or both of you that I will take sides.
 
Problems within a relationship are usually complicated and tend to stem from past experiences and challenges as well as current situations. The aim of relationship therapy is to create an awareness and understanding of the problems affecting the relationship and together we explore both the past and present in order to bring about change.
I offer practical strategies to manage on-going stress and conflicts, enabling a sense of safety,  connection and wellbeing in the relationship to be restored. Understanding the emotions behind the unhealthy communication and behaviours helps to untangle existing destructive patterns.
 
Couples who come together learn to open up communication between them so that they can understand the underlying issues, and find an agreed way forward.

As a relationship therapist I work with clients on a wide range of relationship issues, including:
~ Resolving recurring disputes
~ Managing conflict
~ Navigating intimacy and sexual problems
~ Recovering from break-ups and affairs
~ Working through the trauma of divorce and separation
~ Dealing with parenting concerns
~ Including parenting in “blended” and step-families
~ Infertility
~ Exploring the decision to become a new parent
~ Work stresses, including redundancy and retirement.