Who typically accesses couples therapy?
Couples therapy is a type of treatment where a professional counsellor helps a couple work through challenges in their relationship. All kinds of couples can benefit from relationship counselling including:
- Couples of all genders and sexual orientations
- Couples of all ages
- Unmarried partners
- Premarital/engaged couples
- Happily married partners
- Couples contemplating divorce or separation of some kind
- Partners from different faith backgrounds
- Couples with significant age differences
Reasons for Couples Therapy?
Couples, or relational therapy, can address any issues including:
- Relationship transitions (like moving in together, getting married, expecting a child)
- Major life events (getting a new job, moving to a new city or retirement)
- Changes in physical and/emotional intimacy
- Issues related to illness or addiction
- Financial or employment stresses
- Navigating relationship with family members, friends, colleagues
- Bereavement or other losses
- Feeling stuck within the relationship
How do we access couples therapy and what is the cost?
Our sessions take place online and this would initially start with a commitment to weekly sessions. In our model, your first session will include a comprehensive assessment of your needs. Sessions cost from £60.00 to £85.00.
The first session is your opportunity to get to know your therapist and explore the suitability of working together. The therapist may help you to think about your expectations of therapy and help you to set some goals. Once you have agreed what you would like to explore with the therapist, there is no restriction on the number of sessions you may wish to have.
Couples therapy vs. individual therapy?
In couples counselling, the relationship itself is the client, not only the two individuals in the relationship. For example, if one partner has a gambling addiction, it will typically be addressed in terms of how it affects the relationship.
Types of couples therapy?
Our couples counsellors are experienced practitioners drawn from a wide range of theoretic backgrounds so they can choose from a number of therapeutic techniques that are proven to strengthen relationship bonds.
How does this kind of therapy work?
At UKCN, our couples therapists recommend starting with a commitment to weekly sessions. Our therapists have been trained in-house in couples therapy and all fully qualified from their previous trainings. Each session typically costs £55 to £80 depending upon the level of couples experience the therapist has with UKCN. In this way UKCN can offer affordable couples therapy which matches the needs of you, the clients. Your couples therapy sessions may be held face-to-face if you are local to our centre or online.
What to expect in sessions
At UKCN, your first session your counsellor will ask some basic questions to get to know you both individually before asking questions about your relationship. They’ll probably also ask what you hope to get out of therapy and to set some goals. You will discover at this session if your allocated therapist is a good fit for you and equally if they feel they can meet your needs. At this point you may decide whether you wish to continue sessions, or that this therapy is not for you right now. In this event alternatives will be discussed with your counsellor. If you do continue sessions we do not restrict the number of sessions you may wish to have – this puts you the clients – in charge of your therapy and when you are ready to stop therapy.