Couples & relationship counselling in Oxford
Relationship therapy for couples and partners who want to understand what's happening in their relationships — and work out what to do next.
In-person counselling in East Oxford, with online sessions available.
Every relationship has its own music. Sometimes you need a tune-up. Sometimes you need to change the tune.
Whether you want to communicate better, feel closer, work through conflict or infidelity, navigate separation or divorce, or simply stop having the same argument again and again, I offer warm, direct and practical relationship counselling tailored to you and your relationship.
Perhaps you’re here because…
You keep having the same argument.
You've become less close, emotionally or physically.
Communication has become difficult, defensive or distant.
Trust has been damaged by an affair, secrecy or another rupture.
A major life change — children, family, work, illness or loss — has changed the relationship.
You're wondering whether the relationship can continue, or whether separation or divorce might be the next step.
Or perhaps nothing is dramatically wrong, but you'd like the relationship to work better.
You don't need to have decided exactly what the problem is before coming to counselling.
Ways to work together
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Your relationship isn't in crisis, but something could work better. Perhaps you're getting caught in the same argument, struggling with communication, feeling less connected, or facing a particular decision in your relationship..
A Tuning Up session gives you two hours to step back, understand what's happening between you and get an experienced outside perspective. We'll identify the patterns that may be getting in the way and focus on practical things you can take away and try.
One focused session. No commitment to ongoing counselling.
Tuning Up
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Some relationship patterns are harder to shift in a single session. You may be arguing repeatedly, feeling emotionally or sexually disconnected, struggling to communicate, or finding that old hurts keep resurfacing.
In ongoing counselling, we'll look beneath the arguments to understand the patterns between you, the experiences you each bring to the relationship, and what keeps those patterns going. The aim isn't to decide who is right. It's to help you understand what's happening, change what isn't working and find healthier ways of relating to one another.
Closer Harmony
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An affair. A loss of trust. A serious rupture. The possibility of separation or divorce. Sometimes something happens that changes the relationship profoundly — or brings long-standing difficulties to a head.
At these points it can be difficult to have useful conversations without becoming overwhelmed, defensive or stuck.
Counselling provides a structured place to slow things down, understand what has happened and decide what comes next. That may mean rebuilding the relationship. In some cases, it may mean working towards a more thoughtful separation.
More frequent or longer sessions can be considered where appropriate.
Removing Discord
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New relationships don't have to be in trouble to benefit from a good conversation.
The Overture is a one-off two-hour session for people in newer relationships who want to build strong foundations from the beginning.
We'll explore some of the things that can become surprisingly difficult to talk about later: communication, conflict, sex and intimacy, money, family, boundaries, expectations, independence, commitment and what you each bring from previous relationships and experiences.
Think of it as premarital counselling without needing to be getting married — a chance to understand one another better and establish some useful ground rules while the relationship is new.
One two-hour session. No ongoing commitment.
The Overture
Not sure where to start?
Book a free 10-minute phone consultation to tell me what you're looking for, ask an initial question and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
Relationship counselling tailored to you
I'm a relationship counsellor with specialist training through Relate, working with couples and partners in Oxford and online.
My approach is warm, direct and practical. I draw on several therapeutic approaches rather than expecting every relationship to fit the same model, helping you understand what's happening between you and what might realistically change.
