Relationship counselling and couples therapy
Relationship counselling gives you time to step back from the same arguments, the distance or the hurt, and understand what is happening between you – whether you come as a couple or on your own.
As a relationship therapist, I offer couple counselling and relationship therapy for people who want to communicate more honestly and find a way forward that feels right for them.
Michael Swales
MBACP, NCPS Acc.In-person therapy in London
Online therapy
across the UKIndividual therapy
from £75Couples therapy
from £95
Who it’s for
Couple counselling and individual relationship therapy
Couples therapy is usually for partners who come to sessions together. Relationship therapy can also be for one person who wants to understand their part in a relationship, or patterns that repeat from one relationship to the next.
People come at very different points: early in a relationship, after many years together, while deciding whether to stay, or after a relationship has ended.
Marriage counselling, couple counselling and relationship counselling describe the same kind of work. What matters most is having a space where each person can be heard.
Common reasons
When people look for relationship counselling
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Conversations that quickly turn into conflict
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Growing apart or feeling more like housemates
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Rebuilding trust after betrayal
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Differences in desire or intimacy
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Big decisions about the future of the relationship
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One or both partners feeling unheard or criticised
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One partner pursuing while the other withdraws
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Resentment that keeps resurfacing
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Recurring difficulties across different relationships
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Making sense of a relationship that has ended
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Wanting to understand your own attachment patterns
What to expect
How couples therapy works
Most people begin with a free initial call: a chance to ask questions, talk about availability and decide whether working together feels right.
In couple counselling, each partner has time to speak without being interrupted or rushed. As your couples therapist, I stay neutral and help you both notice the cycle you get caught in – the moment an ordinary conversation turns into a familiar argument, or one of you reaches out while the other pulls away.
In individual relationship therapy, the focus is on you: how you show up in relationships, what you need, and what tends to happen when you feel hurt, anxious or unheard.
There is no set script. We work with what you bring, at a pace that feels manageable.
About the therapist
Working with a relationship therapist
My approach is integrative, relational and trauma-informed. In relationship counselling, that means paying attention not only to what is said, but to how each person feels, protects themselves and reaches for connection.
I draw on relationship psychotherapy, alongside trauma-informed and somatic approaches, to help couples and individuals make sense of what happens between them with less blame and more understanding.
Experienced and accredited
Michael Swales is registered with professional bodies including BACP and NCPS, with additional training in relationship psychotherapy, somatic trauma therapy and addiction recovery.
Locations and online
Couples therapy
in person or online
You can meet in person at King’s Cross, Angel or Farringdon, or have sessions online. For in-person sessions, see relationship and couples therapy in London.
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Relationship counselling is talking therapy that focuses on relationships. It can be for couples who attend together, or for individuals who want to understand their own patterns in relationships, such as conflict, distance, trust or intimacy.
Broadly, yes. Marriage counselling is the name often used when partners are married, but the work is the same: a space for both of you to speak, be heard and understand the patterns between you. You do not need to be married to come to couples therapy.
It can help to look for a therapist who is registered with a professional body, has training in relationship work, and feels like someone you could both talk to. An initial call is a good way to get a sense of this before you commit.
You can start relationship therapy on your own. Individual sessions can help you understand your side of the pattern and what you need. Some couples later decide to attend together.
Yes. Sessions can take place online by video call. Whether online couples therapy is suitable for you can be discussed during the initial consultation.
Couples therapy starts from £95 per couple, and individual therapy starts from £75. Fees can vary depending on the type of therapy, format and circumstances, and this can be discussed during your free initial consultation.
Get in touch
Take the next step when you're ready
Reaching out can feel like a big step, I offer a safe, confidential place to talk and explore what support might look like for you. Phone, email, video-call or in-person sessions – get in touch in whatever way suits you.
Email
info@michaelswales.com
Response time
I aim to respond to within 1 working day.
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