Relationship counselling — sometimes called couples therapy — helps couples of all types to explore communication and to recognise and resolve conflicts. This type of therapy can help when a relationship is in difficulty. Both partners together attend and talk in confidence to a counsellor to explore what has gone wrong in the relationship and how to improve things.

Couples Therapy provides a safe space to explore and learn more about each other’s needs and improve communication in the relationship.

When a relationship is in crisis and difficulties are being experienced, it is almost impossible to function in everyday lives or activities. While relationships can be rewarding, there is virtually no-one who can say that they have not struggled with difficulties or distress in how they relate and communicate with those in their life at some point.

Most people think about attending counselling after a long time of trying to sort it out themselves; but because we are IN the relationship it is hard to see the relationship objectively or with a bird’s eye view. This is where counselling can help.

Relationship counselling is about therapists giving clients the opportunity of discussing their core issues in a safe, empathic and non-judgmental environment and to help clients in exploring possible ways of resolving these going forward for the health of the relationship. The aim from relationship counselling is to give clients the tools to help them reconnect, so as to build and maintain a lasting satisfying relationship.

Frequent issues which are dealt with in Couples Therapy include:

• Parenting
• Communication styles and difficulties
• Substance mis-use
• Frequent conflict
• Emotional distance
• Intimacy and Sexual issues
• Use of pornography
• Domestic violence or intimidation
• Coercive control