Relationships can be one of the most meaningful parts of our lives, but they can also be where we feel most hurt, misunderstood, or alone. When communication breaks down, trust is shaken, or conflict becomes repetitive and exhausting, it can feel difficult to find your way back to each other.
Couples counselling offers a structured, supportive space where both partners can be heard equally, without interruption, blame, or escalation. It is not about deciding who is right. It is about understanding what is happening beneath the surface and helping you move towards healthier ways of relating.
Couples work is thoughtful, balanced, and grounded in attachment awareness, emotional safety, and practical communication skills.
Couples come for many different reasons, including:
Some couples arrive in crisis. Others simply recognise patterns forming and want to strengthen their relationship before things deteriorate further. Both are valid reasons to seek support.
Couples sessions differ significantly from individual therapy.The focus is the relationship itself. Rather than working on one partner’s internal world alone, we explore the dynamic between you. We look at interaction patterns, emotional triggers, attachment styles, unmet needs, and the ways you both contribute to the cycle that keeps you stuck.In sessions:
The aim is not simply to reduce conflict. It is to increase emotional safety, understanding, and connection.
Couples therapy requires clear structure and transparency to remain fair and effective.
The therapist does not take sides. My role is to support the relationship and ensure both partners feel heard. Even when behaviour needs to be challenged, it is done in a way that promotes understanding rather than blame.
Couples counselling operates with transparency. If one partner shares something individually that directly impacts the relationship, it cannot be held as a secret within ongoing couples work. This is essential to maintaining trust within the therapeutic space.If you feel you need individual space to explore something privately, we would discuss whether individual therapy is more appropriate at that time.
Couples therapy works best when both partners are willing to reflect on their own contribution to the dynamic. If one partner attends purely to change the other, progress is limited.
Couples counselling is not appropriate where there is ongoing coercive control, domestic abuse, or fear. In these situations, individual support and specialist services are more suitable.
Individual therapy focuses entirely on one person’s experiences, history, emotions, and internal processes. It allows space to explore trauma, mental health difficulties, identity, and personal growth in depth.Couples therapy, however:
Sometimes couples therapy highlights individual issues that would benefit from separate 1:1 work. In such cases, this can be discussed and arranged appropriately.It is important to note that I cannot act as both your couples therapist and your individual therapist simultaneously, as this would compromise neutrality.
Couples work can feel vulnerable. You may hear things that are difficult. You may recognise patterns you had not previously seen. However, many couples report that simply having a structured, contained space to speak and truly listen shifts something meaningful.
The goal is not perfection. It is greater awareness, healthier communication, and informed choice about how you move forward.
For some couples, that means rebuilding and deepening connection. For others, it means separating with clarity and respect.
Both outcomes can be handled thoughtfully and safely within therapy.
