Couples Counselling Practice
Stress and the Couple
Two news items caught my attention this week: how stress impacts relationships and whether there is a stress gender divide. 1. The first is new research released for National Stress Awareness Day on 1 November 201. It shows that many more women than men are feeling stressed and anxious. Data showed that: · more than […]
Navigating Change in a Couple when the children leave home
The summer holidays are over and the kids are back at school. Many parents up and down the country are bracing themselves for the inevitable when in the next few weeks their children will be leaving home for university. Adjusting to children leaving home, whether its your first child or your youngest child for some […]
What happens to couples when the children leave home
Watching the mesmerising and compelling performance of Gina Mckee in Florian Zeller’s production of 'The Mother' at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn last week left me questioning long after the final curtain. Gina Mckee plays the role of a mother floundering between reality and hostility as her family starts to fall apart and move away […]
Is giving up on marriage easier than working on it? – 2017
Over the past week I was lucky to attend two very different events that I found very interesting and which shared a common thread – the importance of resilience and survival. The first was a strictly orthodox Jewish wedding where Rabbis from every sect and from all over the world were in attendance. One of […]
Difficulties with Commitment in your Relationship – 2017
January was a month where we were bombarded in the press about the need to make new year resolutions, make changes to our work life balance, loose weight and go to the gym more, eat less sugar and more complex carbohydrates. In my counselling room recently, I have been aware of how many couples hope […]
The Importance of Father’s Day 2017
After the election chaos, the atrocities of the London bombings and yesterday's fire disaster in Grenfell Tower, Fathers Day on Sunday comes as a welcome relief. A celebration first observed in Washington in 1910 to honour fathers and father figures, step fathers, grandfathers and fathers in law. Many families go to great efforts to make […]
Why don’t couples come to counselling?
Husband: “Look. Can you hear yourself? Can you? Do you have any idea what a terrible person you have become? All you give out is this endless negativity, a refusal to see any kind of light and joy, even when it's staring you in the face and a desperate need to squash any sign of […]
Couples Checklist for the New Year
We are already three weeks into 2018 and how many of us are still going strong with our new year resolutions to do more exercise, eat less sugar, have a dry January? How many of us have given up already and prioritised on refocusing on work? How many of us have resolved to improve our […]
Couple Therapy can help with Mental Health issues
Mental Health Awareness week takes place from 8-14 May and this year’s theme is ‘Surviving or Thriving’. Since 2005 mental health problems are on the rise – we are making progress on our physical health but not doing the same with our mental health. Thanks to journalists and TV programmes speaking out against the stigma […]
Building & Repairing Trust
As we watch with astonishment the battle that is being played out between Clinton and Trump and the bitter attacks that are being thrown at each other, its very difficult to believe that we can trust either of them to fulfil the role of President of the United States. Being able to trust your partner […]
Couples and the UK-EU Divorce
After all the uncertainty over the past weeks and months we know now the UK has voted for a Divorce from our European neighbours. The aftermath of this vote seems to be causing mayhem and anxiety amongst the political parties and stock markets around the world as everyone tries to come to terms with the […]
Secrets and Lies
Couples come to therapy for a range of different reasons and one of the most important requirements for any good therapeutic experience is that there is openness and honesty in the sessions. However, clients are not always honest with themselves, or their therapists and this often leads to a breakdown in the therapeutic alliance and […]
This can Happen
Mental Health Awareness week takes place from 8-14 May and this year’s theme is ‘Surviving or Thriving’. Since 2005 mental health problems are on the rise – we are making progress on our physical health but not doing the same with our mental health. Thanks to journalists and TV programmes speaking out against the stigma […]