As a Clinical Psychologist and Accredited EMDR therapist, I specialise in trauma, perinatal mental health and relationship distress.
Couples Therapy
Understanding relationship distress, strengthening connection and navigating change together.
Understanding Your Relationship Together
Relationships can be a source of comfort, connection and security, but they can also become a source of distress.
Couples can find themselves caught in recurring patterns of conflict, criticism, withdrawal or disconnection. Sometimes it can feel as though you are having the same arguments over and over again, without really understanding how you got there or how to break the cycle.
Couples therapy provides an opportunity to slow these patterns down and understand what is happening for each person, both individually and within the relationship.
Rather than focusing on who is “right” or “wrong”, I work collaboratively with couples to understand the difficulties they are experiencing and to develop new ways of responding to one another.
My Approach
I believe that both partners should feel heard, understood and respected within therapy.
I am trained in Couples Therapy for Depression (CFTD), a compassion-focused approach which can be applied to relationship and emotional distress.
The approach helps couples understand the patterns of threat, protection and distress that can develop within relationships, and how these can influence the way we respond to the people we are closest to.
Together, we can explore the cycle that you have become caught in, understand the vulnerabilities and needs underneath it, and develop more compassionate and effective ways of responding to one another.
The aim is not simply to stop disagreements. It is to develop a deeper understanding of yourselves, your partner and the relationship between you.
Couples therapy may be helpful when you are experiencing:
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Repeated arguments or conflict that never seems to get resolved
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Difficulties communicating or feeling understood
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Emotional distance or loss of connection
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Feeling criticised, rejected or unsupported
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Patterns of withdrawing, pursuing or becoming defensive
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Difficulties navigating differences in parenting
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Changes in intimacy or closeness
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Feeling stuck in the same relationship patterns
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Difficulties adjusting to significant life changes
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A desire to strengthen your relationship, even when things are generally going well
Couples Therapy in the Perinatal Period
Becoming parents can bring profound changes to a relationship.
Pregnancy, birth and the early years of parenting can affect communication, intimacy, roles and expectations. Exhaustion, changes in identity and the demands of caring for a baby can leave little time or emotional capacity for the relationship itself.
For some couples, difficulties that existed before becoming parents become more pronounced. For others, difficulties emerge for the first time.
Experiences such as fertility difficulties, pregnancy or baby loss, birth trauma or a difficult transition to parenthood can also affect both partners and the relationship between them.
As a Clinical Psychologist specialising in perinatal mental health, I have particular experience in understanding the psychological impact of these experiences and how they can affect relationships.
What to Expect
Couples therapy begins with an initial 60-minute assessment.
This provides an opportunity to understand the difficulties you are experiencing, hear from both partners about their perspectives and experiences, and consider whether couples therapy is the most appropriate approach.
If we decide to work together, we will develop shared goals for therapy and regularly review how things are progressing.
Meaningful change requires commitment from both partners and practice both inside and outside of sessions. My role is to help you understand the patterns you have become caught in and support you in developing different ways of relating to one another.
Taking the First Step
If you are unsure whether couples therapy is right for you, you are welcome to get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation 15-minute telephone or video consultation.
Couples therapy sessions can only be booked following completion of the initial 60-minute assessment.