Thinking Ahead – Couples Therapy

Hello, my name is Ryan and I am one of the Thinking Ahead counsellors. As well as counselling individuals, I work with couples. The type of couples counselling I practice is called Couple Therapy for Depression.

As the name suggests, Couple Therapy for Depression is designed to work with couples where there is depression in at least one of the individuals as well as relationship distress. It is one of the high intensity therapies on offer, therefore it is an up to 20-session therapy model. Couple Therapy for Depression is integrative, meaning it combines best practice from various therapeutic theories.

It is behaviourally-based, theorising that your unwanted or unhealthy behaviours are a learned response to your past experiences. Also, it is based on the theories that your previous experiences can damage your perception of yourself (cognitive) and encouraging you to talk about your childhood relationships may help (psychodynamic). Couple Therapy for Depression is in practice an emotionally-focused approach. The therapist will help you understand emotions, address any insecurities and conflicts, and offer ways to interact in a more responsive and connected way.

These theories have been integrated into a coherent therapy model, which works by: reducing damaging interactions between couples; building emotional openness and closeness; improving communication and behaviour; changing unhelpful cognitions and perceptions; and helping the couple cope with the ordinary and not-so-ordinary stresses that arise in the course of everyday relating.

To access Couples Therapy, contact Thinking Ahead on 01706 751 180 or refer online at www.thebiglifegroup.com/thinkingahead.