COUPLES Therapies
How couples therapies can work for us?
Couples therapy: understanding, communication and change
Couples therapy helps partners rebuild trust, communicate more effectively, and find clarity about their future together. Sessions combine CBT, systemic and psychodynamic approaches to explore relationship patterns and create meaningful, lasting change.
At Carla Swan Therapy, couples therapy provides a safe and confidential space for you and your partner to understand what’s happening beneath conflict, distance, or uncertainty. Using evidence-based methods, we work together to strengthen connection — or, if needed, support a respectful separation.
Sessions available in Olney (Bucks), Central Milton Keynes, and at 10 Harley St, London W1G 9PF — as well as online.
Meeting with an impartial professional can provide a safe place for couples and individuals to think and talk about their feelings without being judged.
Traditional relationship therapies involve building understanding of the issues and appreciating the concerns of your partner. I am one of the few counsellors outside of London accredited to build Couples Cognitive Behavioural Therapy into the therapeutic process.
By combining the two therapeutic processes, I can work with you using traditional systemic and psychodynamic therapies to help you to understand what has happened in the relationship, to recover from traumatic events such as affairs, terminations, death... and then utilise CBT to identify patterns or cycles of interaction. I will work with you to implement new more helpful thoughts and behaviours which then evoke change for the better.
By working with you in this way I can help you to address the difficulties you are experiencing in your relationship. You will build strategies and actions to help manage the issues you face and so discover ways of moving forward (or help you to manage separation, should that be the desired way forward for you as a couple).
No matter your sexual orientation, background, or marital status, or whether you come alone or with a partner, relationship counselling can help. For some it’s about help to improve an on-going relationship that seems to be foundering while for others there is a need to find a way through an immediate issue.
COUPLES THERAPY FAQs
CBT, Relationship Counselling & Couples Therapy
Does couples therapy work, and what outcomes can we expect?
Many couples report better communication, reduced conflict and clearer next steps. Therapy offers a structured, neutral space to understand patterns and practise new skills. Outcomes vary by goals; some couples reconnect, others choose a respectful separation with support.
What happens in the first couples therapy session?
We clarify what brings you to therapy, map key moments in the relationship, and agree goals and boundaries. Early work may include a mix of joint and individual time to ensure each voice is heard and to shape a focused plan.
Do we attend together or have individual sessions too?
Mostly together. Where clinically helpful, brief individual sessions may be included to understand perspectives or history, then we return to joint work so both partners stay aligned on goals and changes.
How many sessions will we need, and how long is each one?
Session length is typically 50–60 minutes, often weekly at first. Short-term CBT can be 6–20 sessions; couples work may be shorter or longer depending on your aims, progress and availability. We review together and adjust frequency over time.
How does CBT help with relationship issues?
CBT identifies links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours that drive conflict or distance. We test new communication and problem-solving strategies, reduce “all-or-nothing” thinking, and build habits that support respect, empathy and connection.
What problems can CBT and relationship counselling address?
Common areas include anxiety, low mood, stress, OCD, trauma responses, jealousy, trust and intimacy difficulties, recurring arguments, parenting strain, life-stage transitions and decision-making about staying together or separating.
Is online therapy effective?
Yes—many clients find video sessions equally effective and easier to fit around work or childcare. We use structured exercises and shared resources to keep sessions focused and practical.
Is therapy confidential?
Yes. Sessions are private and confidential, with standard legal and safeguarding exceptions (e.g., risk of serious harm). We agree how sensitive information is handled in joint work so both partners feel safe.
How do we know if couples therapy or individual therapy is right for us?
If the difficulty sits mainly in the relationship dynamic, couples work is usually best. If one partner has a significant individual concern (e.g., trauma, severe anxiety), we may integrate or sequence individual CBT alongside joint sessions.
Where are sessions held?
In-person in Olney (Bucks), Central Milton Keynes and 10 Harley St, London W1G 9PF, or online by video—whichever is most convenient for you.
© Copyright 2013 Carla Swan Relationship Counselling