Couples Counselling
I work with couples in person and online, via Zoom. My practice is currently full.
Daytime and evening appointments
If you would like to talk with me about whether couples counselling may help or about working in these ways please email avrilhollings@virginmedia.com or leave a message for me on 020 8444 0670
For most people relationships are an important, and sometimes very precious, aspect of their lives. They can also be both challenging and painful.
In my experience most couples have one, or some, difficult areas in their relationship and most relationships go through challenging times.
Often we can work through these ourselves as a couple, sometimes though, it may be more than we can manage and we may want help to address what's difficult and find a way forward.
Couples usually seek counselling when they have exhausted their own resources to deal with an issue or difficulty and are looking for help. Others come when there isn't a particular problem but because they want to lay solid foundations for the future, enhance their relationship in some way, or simply to have a supportive, safe space in which to think and talk about their relationship.
Couples counselling offers a safe, confidential space to explore relationship issues and difficulties. It gives an opportunity to reflect on, and understand the dynamics of your relationship with the input of an experienced professional, and to practice new skills and ways of relating.
Issues focused on can include:
- Communication
- Conflict
- Intimacy and sex
- Negotiating around sex, money, time or needs
- Exploring and negotiating expectations
- Cheating and betrayal, understanding what happened and moving forward
- Change in life circumstances eg having a child, redundancy, illness
- Change in the stage of the relationship eg moving from the honeymoon phase, making a commitment or moving into later life
- Separation
The practicalities
I work with couples on both a short term (6-12 sessions) and an ongoing basis, depending on the issue and situation.
In some circumstances 6-12 sessions is enough time to identify, and work with a particular issue, in others the issues may be more complex and require longer term work. I discuss and agree a focus for the work and a time frame with couples in the initial sessions.
Sessions are either weekly or fortnightly.
If you'd like more information, to discuss what you are looking for and whether couples counselling might work for you, or to make an appointment, please feel free to email me or call me.
