RELATIONSHIP THERAPY

Terms you might see used

This area of therapy is described in a few overlapping ways:

• Relationship therapy — focused on relationship patterns and dynamics, whether you attend alone or with a partner

• Relationship counselling — a common everyday term for similar work

• Couples therapy — relationship-focused work that partners attend together

How the process works

1. Initial appointment
A first conversation to explore what has brought you here and what you hope to gain from therapy, and to consider whether working together feels right.

2. Assessment
A fuller session or sessions exploring your relationship history, current circumstances, and the difficulties you’re facing.

3. Formulation
Together, we make sense of what the assessment has shown, including the patterns that keep recurring and what may be sustaining them. This shared understanding forms the basis of our work.

4. Ongoing work
We agree a way of working that reflects your formulation and goals, at a pace that suits you. We review this together as we go, rather than following a fixed programme.

Who this is for

• People who notice the same difficulties recurring across different relationships

• Anyone struggling in a relationship whose partner isn’t ready or willing to attend

• Couples or partners wanting to understand the dynamics between them

• People unsure whether to stay in a relationship or leave it

• People coming to terms with a breakup, separation, or betrayal

• Anyone finding it difficult to trust, commit, or feel close to others

What relationship therapy can help with

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but common areas include:

• Attachment patterns — fearing abandonment, withdrawing when things get close, or feeling dependent on reassurance

• Boundaries — difficulty saying no, losing yourself in relationships, or feeling responsible for others

• Trust and betrayal — making sense of infidelity, secrecy, or disclosure, and deciding what comes next

• Partner choice — feeling drawn to similar people or dynamics, despite wanting something different

• Separation and endings — deciding whether to stay, or coping when a relationship ends

• Culture and family — migration, belonging, and the expectations you carry into relationships

• Relationship structures — navigating non-monogamy, agreements, and what you want from a relationship

If what’s on your mind isn’t listed here, you’re still welcome to get in touch. You don’t need to have the right words for it yet.

I’m currently training in psychosexual and relationship therapy, working towards registration with COSRT, and I practise this work under regular clinical supervision.