Juliette O’Bryan M.Sc. MBACP (Accred.) There are times when couples really struggle to communicate and lose the closeness they once shared. They can become angry with each other and feel resentful and misunderstood. I have worked with couples for over twenty years and have built up a solid wealth of experience working successfully with the issues that can cause relationships to deteriorate. Problems include:
- An Affair
- Lack of Trust
- Communication Problems
- Jealousy and Rows
- Anger and Abuse
- Parenthood Conflicts
- Inter-racial differences
- Lack of Sex
My style of working with couples is to be a mediator; to provide a safe, neutral place for difficult subjects to be explored and to encourage calm discussions about the changes that would improve the relationship.
Through a supportive and non-judgemental collaboration with the couple, I help them to learn to hear each other again, negotiate a better pattern of behaviour – and to respect and love one another once more. I may suggest that couples practice these changes between sessions, through “homework” and further discussion.
Sometimes couples can feel able to manage with a few counselling sessions but when the problems are more deep rooted, longer term counselling may be necessary.