Are you having the same arguments, just with different words?
Perhaps it’s about money one week, household chores the next, or something as small as how the dishwasher has been loaded. Somehow, what started as a minor disagreement has turned into another evening of frustration, hurt feelings or silence.
Maybe you’ve stopped arguing altogether. You live alongside one another, manage the practicalities of everyday life, but somewhere along the way you’ve lost the closeness you once enjoyed.
Relationships can be wonderful, complicated, frustrating and rewarding. Sometimes all in the same afternoon.
The good news is that struggling in your relationship doesn’t necessarily mean something is fundamentally wrong. It may mean that the way you’ve learnt to communicate and respond to one another is no longer working.
Couples counselling can help you understand what’s happening between you and find a different way forward.
How Can Couples Counselling Help?
You don’t have to be on the brink of separation to benefit from couples counselling.
Some couples come because they’re struggling with a particular difficulty. Others have noticed that things just don’t feel quite right anymore.
You might recognise some of these experiences:
- Having the same arguments without ever reaching a resolution
- Feeling unheard, misunderstood or unappreciated
- Finding that small disagreements quickly become much bigger
- Struggling to communicate without becoming defensive or withdrawing
- Feeling more like housemates than romantic partners
- Experiencing difficulties with intimacy or emotional connection
- Trying to rebuild trust following a betrayal
- Navigating parenthood, family pressures or significant life changes
- Wanting to strengthen an already good relationship
Whatever brings you to counselling, the aim is to understand what’s happening beneath the surface and help you develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship.
My Approach to Couples Counselling
Understanding your relationship, not deciding who’s right
I’m trained in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, an approach developed by psychologists Dr Ellyn Bader and Dr Peter Pearson.
The model recognises that relationships change and develop over time, just as we do as individuals.
In the early stages of a relationship, it’s often easy to feel connected. You may have similar interests, agree on most things and enjoy discovering everything you have in common.
But eventually, differences emerge.
One of you loves planning ahead; the other prefers to see what happens. One wants to talk things through immediately; the other needs time to think. One believes the heating should go on in September; the other considers that practically a criminal offence.
These differences aren’t necessarily the problem. It’s how we manage them that can create difficulties.
The Developmental Model helps us understand where you may be getting stuck and what each of you can learn to help your relationship grow.
More than just talking about your problems
Couples counselling with me isn’t about sitting in a room having the same argument you had at home, only with an audience.
I’ll help you slow things down, recognise the patterns that keep drawing you into conflict and understand what happens emotionally when things become difficult.
We’ll look at how each of you responds, what you might be protecting yourself from and what you could do differently. An important part of this work is recognising that, while you cannot control your partner’s behaviour, you can begin to understand and change your own.
Rather than concentrating entirely on what your partner needs to do differently, we’ll also explore the kind of partner each of you wants to be.
You will have opportunities to practise new ways of communicating and responding during our sessions, so that the changes you’re working towards can begin to make a difference outside the counselling room.
The aim isn’t to eliminate every disagreement. Two people are never going to agree on everything.
It’s to help you manage your differences without losing your connection.
My Approach to Couples Counselling
Understanding your relationship, not deciding who’s right
You don’t have to be on the brink of separation to benefit from couples counselling.
Some couples come because they’re struggling with a particular difficulty. Others have noticed that things just don’t feel quite right anymore.
You might recognise some of these experiences:
- Anxiety
- Men’s problem’s and issues
- Self-esteem
- Addiction
- Depression
- Trauma
- Abuse, past and present
- Relationship issues
- Bereavement and loss
- Redundancy
- Life transitions
- Sexual worries
- Parental and family problems
- Neurodiversity
- PTSD
Fees & Appointments
Sessions
50 minutes
Fee
£50 per session
Payment
Online or cash on arrival
Cancellation Policy: Full fee charged for missed or late cancellations
About Me
Hello, I’m Kate Bethell. I’m a qualified counsellor with specialist training in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy.
I believe that relationships are one of the most important parts of our lives, but that doesn’t mean we’re automatically equipped with all the skills we need to navigate them.
Most of us have learnt something about relationships from the people around us, our childhood experiences and the relationships we’ve had along the way. Some of those lessons are helpful. Others can leave us repeating patterns we don’t particularly like, even when we know they’re not working.
My approach is warm, compassionate and non-judgemental, but also active and practical.
I’m not here to decide who is right, take sides or tell you how your relationship should look.
I’m here to help you understand one another, recognise what may be getting in the way and develop the skills to create a relationship that works better for both of you.
I also offer individual counselling and therapy. If you’re looking for support for yourself rather than couples counselling, you can find out more at Kate Bethell Therapy.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Making the decision to begin couples counselling can feel daunting, particularly if you’ve been struggling for some time or aren’t sure what to expect.
You don’t need to have all the answers before getting in touch. You don’t even need to agree on exactly what the problem is.
That’s something we can begin to explore together.
Richmond Couples Counselling — helping you find a different way forward.
K Bethell
© 2026 Richmond Couples Counselling. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Making the decision to begin couples counselling can feel daunting, particularly if you’ve been struggling for some time or aren’t sure what to expect.
You don’t need to have all the answers before getting in touch. You don’t even need to agree on exactly what the problem is.
That’s something we can begin to explore together.
Richmond Couples Counselling — helping you find a different way forward.
K Bethell
© 2026 Richmond Couples Counselling. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy