Marriage Counselling

 

About Our Marriage Counselling in Leeds

 

Difficulty in our closest relationships is extremely common and can have a large effect on our lives. Problems often stem from or are made worse by the lack of effective communication. Marriage counselling can help you understand and improve the situation, whether working alone or in couple’s sessions.

Marriage Counselling involves working together with myself; I am trained to help you have important conversations and ask questions to prompt you to move forward. I am impartial, non-judgmental, and can help you gain perspective on your challenges, ensuring all parties are being fairly given the opportunity to express themselves.

Our marriage counselling sessions aim to help you:. 

·         Understand how outside factors such as family values, religion, lifestyle and culture affect your relationship (s).

·         Reflect on the past and how it operates in the present.

·         Communicate in a more beneficial way.

·         Learn how/why your conflicts intensify.

·         Negotiate and resolve differences where possible.

Why Insight? The Process and the Sessions:

How does it work?

·         I usually begin by exploring how you met, what attracted you to one another, asking what brought you to marriage counselling at this time and what your goals of marriage therapy are.

·         The duration of therapy will be discussed with you at the beginning and at regular check-ins during the course of marriage counselling, as this will be dependent on the nature of your issues and goals.

·         I ask that you take turns to schedule future appointments to ensure all parties continue to be invested in marriage counselling.

The Approach:

I may use a variety of models, such as systemic therapy to see how behaviours affect others, or psychodynamic models to explore how unconscious past experiences influence present interactions. 

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), specifically focuses on the emotional underpinnings of the relationship, helping partners understand their own and each other's needs and build more secure, responsive emotional connections.

By viewing the relationship as the client, I can address the intricate interactions between individuals, to develop a comprehensive understanding and lasting positive change. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can think of marriage counselling as therapy in which your relationship is the client, shifting the focus from individuals to the dynamics and patterns within the connection, such as how partners interact, communicate, and respond to each other's behaviours and emotions. 

  • Often, I am contacted via phone or email by one of the people in the relationship.  I ask that all parties complete my marriage counselling assessment form and agree to our contract before booking an appointment.

  • The number of marriage counselling sessions needed varies significantly per couple, but typically ranges from six to twelve sessions, with some couples benefiting from as few as four or six, while others may need twenty or more for longer-term goals or complex issues like infidelity. 

    We will assess and review progress together regularly and decide on continuing therapy based on your specific goals. 

  • You can’t force anyone to attend therapy but you can attend as an individual client.

  • Marriage counselling doesn’t guarantee to ‘fix’ things, but the hope is that it will help you overcome your challenges.

    If, on the other hand, these prove insurmountable, you will both have had the opportunity to voice your individual perspectives and make the decision knowing that you have given your marriage every chance.

  • Our sessions take place in a safe, non-judgemental environment. All information will be kept confidential between me and you as the couple with the following exceptions:

    • I reserve the right to break confidentiality if instructed to by a court of law.

    • I reserve the right to break confidentiality if I believe that either of you are going to cause physical harm to another individual.

    • I reserve the right to break confidentiality if I believe either of you are going to physically harm yourself.

    There is no confidentiality agreement between me and each individual in the couple. If one partner discloses information to me when not in the presence of the other partner, I may share that information during the couple’s therapy session.

    I will be discussing your case with my supervisor during my supervision session. This is required by the rules of my regulatory body (BACP) and is beneficial to both clients and therapist.

  • Yes we do, via Zoom.

  • Marriage counselling sessions cost £70.00 per session

What I Can Help With

  • Couples & Individuals

  • Bereavement and loss

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Parenting problems

  • Difficulties at work

  • Stress and anxiety

  • Separation and divorce

  • Illness

  • Abuse

  • Confidence and self esteem

  • Self-awareness

  • Current problems

  • Long-running issues

  • Behaviour patterns

  • Childhood issues