Frequently asked questions

The first session is an initial consultation, a chance for you and the therapist to meet and see whether the fit feels right. You will have space to describe what has brought you. The therapist will listen to both of you and begin to notice the dynamic between you. You do not need to have a clear story prepared. Most couples arrive unsure what to say, and that is entirely normal.

There is no set duration. Some couples work for a few months, others for a year or more. Psychodynamic work is not a programme with a fixed end point. It depends on the depth of the difficulty and what you discover along the way. Your therapist will think with you about this as the work develops. What we can say is that meaningful change is rarely quick.

You do not need to be certain. Most couples who contact us are unsure: about the relationship, about therapy, about whether it is too late. That uncertainty is a reasonable starting point. Couples therapy tends to be most useful when both partners are willing to attend, even if one is more reluctant than the other. If only one of you wants to come, individual therapy may be a better first step.

Our therapists are based in various locations across the UK, including London. Each works from their own consulting room. You can see who is based where on our therapists page.

Yes. What you share in therapy is confidential. Your therapist will not disclose information to anyone outside the session without your explicit consent, except in rare circumstances involving serious risk of harm, which they would discuss with you wherever possible. Therapists in our collective receive clinical supervision as part of their professional practice, but your identifying details are protected in that context.

Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that much of what drives behaviour in relationships is unconscious, outside your awareness and not hidden by choice. It looks at how your earliest experiences of closeness, conflict, and need shape the patterns you bring into adult relationships. It is not about learning new scripts for difficult conversations. It is about understanding why you keep ending up in the same place. For a fuller explanation, see our How We Work page.

Each therapist sets their own cancellation policy and will explain it during the initial consultation. Most follow the standard convention in psychotherapy that sessions cancelled at short notice, or missed without notice, are charged at the full rate. This is not a penalty. The time is held for you, and regular attendance is part of what makes the work effective.

You can contact us directly through the contact page. You do not need a formal referral from a GP or other professional, though it is helpful to mention if someone has recommended you seek couples work. If your GP has written a referral letter, your therapist can discuss the best way to use that during the initial consultation.

No. If you are working with one of our therapists as a couple, neither partner should also see that therapist individually. This is a clinical boundary, not an administrative rule. The therapist needs to hold the couple relationship in mind, which becomes impossible if they are also holding a private therapeutic relationship with one partner. If individual therapy would be helpful, your therapist can discuss onward referrals.

It is common for one partner to be more willing than the other. Couples therapy requires both partners to attend. It cannot work with only one person in the room. If your partner is reluctant, it may help to share this website with them and let them read it in their own time. If they are unwilling to attend, individual psychotherapy may be a useful first step for you.