Counselling Couples

This weekend is for those wishing to engage with the six conditions proposed by (Rogers 1957) relevant to therapist effectiveness in relationship therapy with two adults.

”Distress in couple and family life has long been described as a product of complex causality” (O’Leary 1999). No one person is entirely responsible for causing relationship problems, but an unacknowledged and rigid communication pattern between individuals maintains the difficulty by preventing congruent dialogue and action. Indeed much of relationship distress is caused by individuals trying to change one another rather than trying to understand their own and others core needs and desires. A change in the individual’s perceptions and actions facilitates change in those patterns. As O’Leary (2008) says   “Change in a system is not achieved through directives and control but by a shift in the emotional atmosphere that allows new possibilities to emerge.”

The effective therapist then can facilitate change only by creating a climate in which both parties learn that they can speak, and also be heard, by showing accurate understanding and unconditional acceptance to both clients.

This is our task.

On Saturday we will focus on ourselves in relationship. On our own needs and desires, gender roles, power dynamics and philosophy about relationships, we will use expressive media to facilitate this dialogue. On Sunday we will look at practice.

Costs £100.00   £80.00  £60.00