Relationship Counselling
When going well, our personal relationships can provide us a strong sense of security, fulfilment and comfort. However there are times when even the most stable of relationships go through a difficult period. Endless circular arguments, an affair, or a myriad of other life events can present us with stresses that even the strongest of relationships would struggle to cope with. As a trained and experienced couple’s counsellor with Relate and through my role as Family Consultant for the Hertfordshire Family Law Society, over the last 20 years I have helped hundreds of couples find a way through the difficulties they are facing through couple’s counselling.
Whilst still maintaining a confidential, non-judgemental and relaxed environment, couple’s counselling differs from individual counselling in that it takes a much more pragmatic and solution focused approach. With the potential for separation or divorce on the horizon and all of the attendant emotional and financial costs those can bring, it is important in couple’s counselling that we come swiftly to a true understanding of what is causing the problem and then work to find solid, workable and realistic solutions. Rather than just “agreeing to be different in the future” as so often happens in relationships at the end of a long argument at home, I will help by providing a number of practical therapeutic tools both during the sessions and at home designed to assist couples achieve genuine change – and not just another short lived round of “Best behaviour”.
Seeking confidential assistance from a qualified professional not only makes this possible, but also avoids the many potential pitfalls of speaking with close friends or family, regardless of how well meaning they may be. It can be very difficult for anybody close to you to be truly impartial. In some cases, seeking help or advice from friends and/or loved ones can actually cause even further difficulties in those relationships. This is particularly true should you choose not to follow their advice. It will also likely be important for you to keep the difficulties of your relationship private and you will want to ensure that you do not become the topic of gossip within your extended family, at the playground or in the local pub and this can be completely avoided by speaking with a confidential counsellor. I appreciate that this landing page for Relationship counselling does not go into great detail about how, precisely couples counselling works. If you would like a highly detailed explanation as to my approach to relationship counselling, please read my 6 part article series on couples counselling here.
Should your relationship difficulties involve any other significant issues such as alcoholism, a history of abuse, anger management etc… I will be able to draw on a wide range of experience and training to provide additional assistance.
If you have any questions or concerns about how counselling might help in your situation, I am happy to have a confidential, no obligation telephone conversation with both parties prior to making that first appointment
