I am a qualified Relate-trained couple counsellor and studied at the University of East London. As well as being a regular counsellor for Relate, I also operate my own practice in Forest Row, East Sussex.
Relate is the number-one relationship organisation and their training is the best in the country, giving the student the best grounding in knowing how to deal with all kinds of relationship issues.
In addition to my main Relate qualifications, I also have certificates in:
- Mental Health and Couple Counselling
- Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse
- Anger, Rage and Relationships
- Using CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) With Couples
- Domestic Violence and Abuse: Awareness and Safety
- Domestic Violence and Abuse: Individual Structured Interviews
- Domestic Violence and Abuse: Assessment and Intervention
When we meet that ‘special someone’ our romantic expectations are often very high. We can feel so in love and seem to get along so well that surely nothing can go wrong? The reality is though that it is quite rare for couples to live in blissful harmony for the rest of their lives.
Most people, in fact, experience difficulties at some point in their relationship and this can come as a sense of disillusionment that things have gone wrong. This can manifest in all sorts of ways – a realisation that you don’t communicate any more, bickering and arguing, control issues arising, jealousy issues, an affair, sexual problems, etc. All sorts of feelings can surface which can cause despair, sadness and a frustration that ‘they are not like the person I first met any more’. Sometimes people feel terribly stuck in knowing how to deal with these feelings on their own and do not know how to stop the relationship spiralling downwards. However, there is a way through to get your relationship back to one you do want to be in.
The help that can be given by an experienced counsellor can be invaluable in understanding how the issues have arisen and finding ways to resolve them. There is no shame in seeking help and there is every chance that you will come through to a place whereby your relationship is not only back on track but also stronger, healthier and more intimate.