Couples counselling

Congratulations for being brave enough to look for support. For most people I have worked with, it is a huge step to reach out for psychological counselling or therapy. It also shows that you are taking responsibility for your own life.
There are many reasons couples are looking for support. Whatever your reasons are, by looking for help to change the way you live your relationship, you are on the best way to improve your life.
My therapy is for every adult experiencing difficulties in their relationship: whether you are married or in a partnership, separated, divorced or divorcing, straight or gay. Whatever your age, race or social background; I work with lots of problems such as affairs, communication issues, getting used to step-families, balancing work and home and the effects of depression on couples.

What kind of treatment do I get?

In the first session, both of you get the time to explain your situation in your own words and to express your difficulties in your relationship respectively. Together we will disentangle your topics and define your therapy goals.
During your sessions, we will take a close look at your emotions, thoughts and attitudes and how they affect your life. We are focusing on the things that need to be changed. Together we are developing new perspectives and practising new attitudes, which will have a positive impact on your behaviour. In general, it helps you to expresses your true self, letting you become more balanced and satisfied.
We will also work on communication skills which people in general experience as very helpful. Often, however, this is perceived as a quick fix that takes the tension out of highly stressed situations rather than providing a change on a long-term basis. Moreover we can achieve such lasting changes better by also taking a look into your past. It might be helpful to understand yourself better in the way of how you were raised to think, how to cope with certain situations and how that still has an impact on your relationship today. People very often find out that particular behavioural patterns that were helpful during the past, e.g. not speaking up for themselves or behaving very dominantly, were very helpful. However, one wonders whether this once important behaviour is still necessary or even adequate today? Perhaps it is time to change your perspective and recognise that time has past and you do not need this pattern anymore. Then it is time to move on.

Procedure

The sessions generally take place every two weeks. This gives you the time you might need to process what you have worked on during the therapeutic session. If you are facing a critical period, we can discuss whether a higher frequency of sessions may be advisable. Sometimes an additional session of just 25 minutes is even enough. I am only offering a higher frequency of sessions for a limited timeframe.
By supporting you I will provide a warm confidential safe space where you can explore any issues that you are currently struggling with, within a timeframe that works for you. If you think this might suit you, you are very welcome to contact me. Together we will find out what I can do for you and whether I am the right person for you.