Couples Therapy
I have worked as a counsellor and psychotherapist with couples for the past 15 years. I am currently in the process of completing my training as an Imago Relationship Therapist which will further enhance my capacity to work with couples.
My philosophy
My experience is that couples come for relationship counselling for a number of reasons including:
Change in any relationship needs both parties to be committed to exploring how they might behave differently. But if you are both willing to change your behaviour where needed you can not only come through the current difficulties in your relationship but you can also deepen into a more loving and meaningful connection. By doing this work and making these changes you deepen your understanding of both yourself and your partner and you can heal many of the deeper wounds that have been around since before your relationship even began.
My approach
In the first session, which lasts one and a half hours, you get the opportunity to see who I am and how I work and I can also assess whether I am the best person to support you and your relationship. From there we all decide if there is a fit between us. If we continue working together all subsequent sessions will last one and a half hours and we will meet either weekly or fortnightly.
In Imago Relationship Therapy I provide a structure which builds a safe space in which each of you can express what is going on for you and feel heard by your partner. This will be a new way of communicating for most couples and the experience of being heard and validated brings about significant change and a great sense of relief. Being able to stretch yourself and be willing to hear how things are for your partner is a vital part of this process and it plays a major part in your personal development both as a person and as a partner.
I support you not only in this process in the therapy room but in taking it out into your everyday lives so you grow your own capacity to resolve conflict and at the same time bring passion and joy back into your relationship. Through Imago Relationship Therapy you also deepen your understanding of how relationships work and why both you and your partner behave as you do towards one another.
Who I work with
I am happy to work with any couple who are committed to enhancing the connection in their relationship. In saying this I am aware how difficult and frightening change can be for some people. Some couples who come to see me have been together many years, others are in relatively new relationships.
My motivation
I have experienced the benefits of working with my partner with the ideas and practices offered by Imago Relationship Therapy. Through the process of committing to say how I feel in our relationship and similarly being committed to hearing how my partner feels and vice versa has had a significant impact on our relationship. We both feel a sense of connection and joy with one another that is deeper than before and we continue to commit to spending time focusing on our relationship to enhance our connection still further. I love working with couples and seeing them deepen their connection and love for one another
As a psychotherapist I am acutely aware the impact parents’ behaviour has on their children. I have seen in my work over many years how children look to their parents for modelling of how to be in the world so I want to support couples with children to be the best possible models for their children in terms of how to communicate in ways that are open and respectful of each other.
Fees for couples counselling
I charge £80 per hour for all sessions, so each one and a half hour session costs £120
