New to Relationship Counselling? How it Works

man and woman talking to each other in a session

We listen to you

Our methods have been developed to improve lives over generations. Our experts give you the individual care you need.

If you are considering seeking help for a relationship or mental health issue, then it's natural to want to know more before you take the first step.

At Tavistock Relationships, our staff help everybody who comes to us understand what relationship counselling or individual therapy involves.

Below, you can read about how the counselling process works.

couple sitting in a room with a therapist

Relationship counselling or individual therapy starts with a conversation

At Tavistock Relationships we work with you to find the best therapy to suit your needs. In your initial appointment we discuss the issues to find the help that is right for you.

You might be in a relationship, divorced, separated, having issues with parenting or adoption or finding problems in your sexual relationship and unable to resolve the difficulties. This can feel lonely and overwhelming.

Speaking to a therapist gives you the space to understand yourself better in relation to your partner and to explore what keeps you stuck – which often involves recurring patterns from the past.

We’ve been offering relationship therapy for over 70 years, working with people from all communities and backgrounds, providing a safe and confidential environment for you to talk through your problems. Our results and client satisfaction scores speak for themselves.

The initial consultation

A vital first step that can help you understand your problems, and what help you need

Making an appointment for an initial consultation is an important first step to getting help and you can book one online here.

You can choose to attend with your partner or alone. At this session you’ll have the chance to talk through any concerns and ask any questions about how the counselling process works.

People generally find the initial consultation very helpful. During the consultation, the therapist you see will explore your current difficulties and think with you about how to proceed.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we believe that relationship counselling should be accessible to all. As such we offer a sliding fee scale based upon your overall circumstances. You can read more about fees here – we’ll discuss this at your first appointment.

Book your first consultation

Success stories

I would recommend marriage counselling to any couple. Our treatment was incredibly helpful for our marriage now, and preparing us for the future together. Thank you.

Tavistock Relationships Client

Our counsellor has been very good at helping us identify underlying issues.

Tavistock Relationships Client

Is couples therapy right for me?

When you talk to us there is no obligation to commit unless you are sure - and we help you explore if therapy is the best option.

We do need to ensure that your situation is best suited to having couple therapy, and there might be times when we are not best placed to meet your current needs.

In such circumstances, we would try to recommend more appropriate options that you might wish to explore, and suggest that you might return for a review in the future.

What happens after the initial consultation

Following your initial appointment we consider carefully the most suitable way forward for you.

If this is in our counselling, psychotherapy or psychosexual services we will look for an appropriate appointment for you for regular weekly sessions.

It could be that there is a wait until a suitable vacancy can be offered, particularly if your availability is limited. Once an appointment is offered it will be for the same time each week with the same therapist.

How to book an appointment

The easiest way to book an appointment is online.

If you have any questions that you’d like to ask before going ahead with a counselling session, why not give us a call on 020 7380 1960, or alternatively get in touch with using the form below.

You can also check out our frequently-asked questions, which cover most of the common things we’re asked.

Book therapy