Couples Therapy

Working with couples and family members

What is couples therapy?

Couples come to me to help with communication or other issues in their relationship, maybe to do with sex, infidelity, anger and resentment or loss of intimacy. Sometimes you may be scared to say certain things to your partner about something that is affecting the relationship and it would feel much easier to say things with a professional present to give space for such things to be discussed calmly.

Occasionally couples come to me to work out if they should stay together or not.

Couples therapy provides a neutral and safe space for you to explore the difficult things in your relationship. 

You may learn: ways to communicate better; how to listen to and really hear each other’s feelings; how to negotiate and compromise; how to manage anger and resentment in the relationship; how to understand the ways in which your partner is different from you and how your needs also differ. 

Relationship Development

 Sometimes a couple just wants to work on maintaining or developing their relationship so that it stays positive and communication remains healthy. This is a very positive thing to do and I encourage couples to take this.

I offer this in short courses of work, “check in” sessions, or ad hoc consultations. 

Family work

Family members can sometimes find it very difficult to communicate, either generally or regarding specific issues. I offer a space that allows for particular sensitive issues to be talked about between family members that can help families move forward and resolve differences.

How much do you charge for couples/family work?

For couples and families fees can be discussed but as a guide they are from £120 for a 60 minute session.

Organisational fees are negotiated individually.

Internal family systems

What is Internal Family Systems Therapy?

Internal Family Systems therapy is a type of therapy pioneered in the US by Richard Schwartz. It combines systems theory with the construct that a personality is made up of a variety of different parts. As a therapy it works by looking at and getting to know the different parts of the Self, what they intend or do for us and how they interact with each other.

It is a powerful form of therapy to process trauma and create a more harmonious relationship with ourselves and therefore with others in our lives

What is EMDR therapy

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for ‘Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing’.

EMDR is a powerful psychological treatment method that was developed by an American clinical psychologist, Dr Francine Shapiro, in the 1980s. .

Much research has been conducted since Francine Shapiro pioneered this treatment, which demonstrates its benefits in treating psychological trauma arising from experiences as diverse as war related experiences, post traumatic stress, childhood sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect, assault, surgical trauma, road traffic accidents and workplace accidents. Since its original development, EMDR is also increasingly used to help individuals with other issues, including performance anxiety. EMDR has been found to be of benefit to children as well as adults.

EMDR is a complex and powerful therapy. Therapists always have a background in mental health before undertaking training in EMDR.

Supervision

Supervision
This page is for Psychotherapists and Counsellors either trained or in training who are looking for supervision

I offer individual and group supervision to Counsellors, Psychotherapists and organisations. I supervise clinical work in private practice and within organisations (e.g. CRUSE, the NHS) 

My model of supervision is integrative and my supervision training included attention to the professional and personal dimensions of the therapist and the relationships between therapist and client and beyond.

I supervise psychotherapists, counsellors and health care professionals who have been working for many years and those who are still in training. I work individually or supervising a small group (of up to 4). I offer supervision to Doctoral level and am a Primary Supervisor for the Metanoia Psychotherapy MSc. I also provide supervision for organisations whose work requires reflective practice for their staff.

As supervision is not usually weekly, my availability can be more flexible for supervision, so we can discuss various options.
I am happy to have an informal chat about what your needs are and arrange an initial, exploratory meeting. Please contact me by phone or email using the contact details provided.