Home / Our services / Relationship and couples therapy
What's worrying you?
Relationship and couples therapy
Written by Luisa Kos
Table of contents
Relationship and couples therapy: Rebuilding connections and strengthening bonds
Relationships can be one of the most rewarding aspects of life, but they can also bring challenges. Whether you’re navigating conflict, dealing with trust issues, or simply feeling disconnected from your partner, relationship and couples therapy can provide the tools and support you need to heal and grow together.
What Is relationship and couples therapy?
Relationship and couples therapy is a specialised form of counselling that focuses on improving communication, resolving conflict, and strengthening emotional connections. It’s designed for partners at any stage of their relationship—whether you’re dating, married, cohabiting, or even separated but seeking closure.
A trained therapist provides a safe, neutral space where both partners can express their feelings and work towards shared understanding and solutions.
When is couples therapy beneficial?
Couples therapy isn’t just for relationships in crisis. It can be beneficial for a variety of situations, including:
- Communication breakdown: Struggling to express yourself or feeling unheard.
- Conflict resolution: Recurring arguments that don’t seem to have a solution.
- Infidelity and trust issues: Rebuilding trust after betrayal.
- Intimacy problems: Addressing emotional or physical disconnection.
- Life transitions: Navigating challenges like parenthood, relocation, or retirement.
- Pre-marital counselling: Strengthening your foundation before making a long-term commitment.
What happens in couples therapy?
Couples therapy sessions typically involve both partners attending together, though individual sessions may also be included. During therapy, you can expect to:
- Explore the root causes of your challenges.
- Learn healthier ways to communicate and listen.
- Develop problem-solving strategies.
- Rebuild trust and intimacy.
- Set shared goals for your relationship.
Therapy isn’t just about talking; it’s about developing real-life tools and insights to help you feel better, think more clearly, and make meaningful changes in your life.
The benefits of couples therapy
Relationship therapy helps partners move past unhelpful patterns and create a stronger, healthier connection. Some of the key benefits include:
- Improved communication: Learn how to express your needs and listen with empathy.
- Stronger bond: Rebuild emotional and physical intimacy.
- Conflict management: Handle disagreements constructively without causing harm.
- Deeper understanding: Gain insight into your partner’s thoughts and feelings.
- Renewed hope: Rediscover what brought you together and build a more fulfilling future.
Finding the right couples therapist
Choosing the right therapist is essential for a successful experience. Look for someone who specialises in relationship counselling, has experience with your specific concerns, and makes both partners feel comfortable and understood.
Take the first step towards a stronger relationship
Take the first step today and connect with a therapist who specialises in helping couples thrive.
PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later.
Find a specialist
Therapists who can help with relationship and couples therapy
Rebecca Sparkes
UKCP-accredited psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience in private practice and the NHS, specialising in addiction, eating disorders, complex trauma, and couples therapy. She trained at the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE) and holds additional training in integrative transpersonal psychotherapy, early years attachment-based trauma, and psychosexual therapy. She has worked extensively with clients presenting with alcohol and drug dependency, compulsive behaviours, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, complex PTSD, and long-term depression and anxiety.
Saidat Khan
I am a qualified psychotherapist, who specialises in addictions, psychosexual and relationships and trauma – using Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) technique. I also work general clinical issues: with anxiety, low mood, work related stress. I support clients in understanding the links between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and in developing practical strategies to manage distress and create lasting change. A significant part of my work focuses on sex addiction, pornography use, alcohol and drug dependency, as well as the impact these can have on relationships, including infidelity, loss of trust, and sexual dysfunctions.
Lisa Romanova
I utilise evidence-based strategies, including CBT, attachment theory and EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) principles, to guide clients toward sustainable, profound relational transformation. My approach is not about quick fixes; it’s about building a secure, resilient emotional foundation. I empower you to understand your relational patterns, restore trust, and cultivate a deeper emotional connection. If you are ready to stop navigating the complexity of your relationship alone and start building a loving, supportive partnership, let’s connect.
Jonathan Oppong-Wlafe
I have worked for five years in a leading residential clinic working with clients who struggle with dependencies to substances or behaviours, as well as clients struggling with suicidality, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. I now work in private practice in Kensal Rise.
Britta Bielenb
I joined UKCP as a fully accredited clinical member several years ago, having completed an MA and diploma in Gestalt therapy for individual clients and groups. I since also trained as a systemic family counsellor and yoga teacher. I work bilingually in English or German, online and in-person in Munich/Germany.
Deniz Sarper
With over five years of clinical experience across NHS GP surgeries, specialist placements, and private practice, I offer a warm, thoughtful, and culturally sensitive space for therapy. I work with individuals, couples, and families (age depending), supporting a wide range of concerns including anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, PTSD, relationship difficulties, identity, bereavement, fertility challenges, neurodiversity, and life transitions. My approach is relational, compassionate, and tailored to each person’s unique needs, helping clients explore patterns, emotions, and behaviours in a safe and non-judgemental environment. I have experience providing both short-term focused counselling and longer-term in-depth psychotherapy.
Tolis Marinos
MBACP-registered Gestalt counsellor and psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience supporting people through life changes. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Gestalt Therapy and is trained in EMDR and couples therapy. He works from Crystal Palace and central London (W1W), offering sessions to individuals and couples across a wide range of presentations.
Vicki Power
Vicki is an integrative therapist working with individuals and couples
Manuel Navarro
I am a systemic and family psychotherapist with 20 years of experience working in mental health services in the NHS. I have worked with adolescents and adults who suffer from mental health or emotional difficulties such as depression, anxiety and panic, and eating disorders. I also work with couples who are looking to improve their relationship, and I am registered with the Emotionally Focused Therapy Institute (ICEEFT). My approach to therapy recognises that the individual, as well as their family members all have strengths and strategies which can be used to overcome symptoms and difficulties. I am committed to empirical methods of therapy, and I offer systemic therapy including attachment, interpersonal neurobiology, NVR, and communication skills. Within my therapy framework I can meet with you individually, or with your family members, depending on your circumstances. You can contact me for a 30-minute free phone consultation, so that we can discuss whether we could work together towards your goals.
Nilima Choudhury
I’m a UKCP-registered Person-Centred Psychotherapist with experience across psychiatric half-way houses, NHS services, low-cost counselling centres and private practice. Alongside individual therapy, I work with people in relationship psychotherapy, supporting couples and relational pairings who want to understand patterns, improve communication, or navigate change together. This includes romantic partners, friends, family members, and other meaningful relationships — not just traditional couples. My work focuses on the therapeutic relationship as the primary agent of change, creating a space where each person feels heard, respected, and able to speak honestly. I hold complexity, difference and conflict with care, helping clients explore how they relate to themselves and to others, and what they want their relationships to become.
Our experts
Our content is reviewed by professionals. Find out more
Trust our content
We are a PIF TICK ‘trusted information creator’. This means you can be assured that what you are reading is evidence-based, understandable, jargon-free, up-to-date and produced to the best possible standard.
All content was accurate when published.