Couples & Relationship Counselling

​​Relationships can be some of the most important parts of our lives, but they can also be where we feel most misunderstood, frustrated, hurt or disconnected.

I offer relationship counselling for two people who want to explore their relationship together. This may be partners or couples, but it could also be a parent and adult child, siblings, or two people in another important relationship.

You don't need to be at crisis point to come to relationship counselling. You may simply have become stuck in patterns that are difficult to change on your own.

How relationship counselling can help

You might consider relationship counselling if you are:

• having the same arguments repeatedly

• struggling to communicate or feel heard

• feeling distant or disconnected from one another

• dealing with a significant change or transition

• trying to understand differences between you

• experiencing a loss of trust

• finding that past experiences are affecting your relationship

• wanting to understand each other better

• considering the future of your relationship

You don't both have to see the problem in exactly the same way. In fact, it is very common for two people to arrive with quite different experiences of what has been happening.

How I work

I am not there to decide who is right or wrong, to take sides, or to tell you what you should do. Instead, I offer a space in which both of you can speak openly and have the opportunity to be heard and understood.

Together, we can begin to slow things down and look at what happens between you — particularly the patterns that can become difficult to see when you are caught up in them.

Sometimes what appears on the surface as anger, withdrawal, criticism or defensiveness can have something more vulnerable underneath it. Exploring this together can help you understand not only what is happening between you, but also why it keeps happening.

The aim isn't to create a "perfect" relationship. It is to help you understand yourselves and each other more fully and find a way of relating that feels more open, authentic and workable.

What happens in the first session?

The first session gives us an opportunity to explore what has brought you to counselling and what each of you hopes might be different.

I will want to hear from both of you and begin to understand the relationship from each of your perspectives.

We will also talk about how we will work together and agree some boundaries that help counselling feel as safe and balanced as possible for both of you.

There is no expectation that you have to decide immediately whether you want ongoing counselling. The first session is also an opportunity for you both to decide whether working with me feels right for you.

Relationship counselling isn't only for couples

Although relationship counselling is often called couples counselling, I also work with other significant relationships.

This might include:

• a parent and adult child

• adult siblings

• other family relationships

• two people wanting to understand or repair an important relationship

The focus is not on the label you give the relationship, but on what happens between you and what you would like to understand or change.

Sessions

Relationship counselling sessions are available face-to-face in Maidenhead and online.

I charge £130 for a 90 minute session.

If you would like to find out whether relationship counselling might be helpful for you, please get in touch. We can have an initial conversation before deciding whether to arrange a first session.