• therapist with a depressed couple

    Working with Couples and Depression - 3-Day CPD

woman looking at couple therapy for depression tutors on laptop

Upcoming training dates

Perinatal Practitioner Training: 
 22, 23, January 2024 (face-to-face) 24, 25, 26 January 2024 (online)

10:00 am - 4:30 pm

Get in touch with us

For any queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Key information

Location:

22, 23 January 2024 - London / 24, 25, 26 January 2024 - Online

Course dates:

Perinatal Practitioner Training:  22, 23, 24, 25, 26 January 2024

Course code:
2024JanPeriFOnline

This CPD is made up of 3 days of remote teaching, discussion, and experiential learning and up to 3 sessions of supervisory case consultation for experienced couple-trained clinicians. It will provide practitioners in private practice, voluntary sector organisations, and private healthcare providers with the therapeutic techniques to work with couples and depression, based on Couple Therapy for Depression, the evidence-based, NICE-approved treatment for mild to moderate depression.

The training will include:  

  • teaching on the relational aspects of depression  
  • couple and individual stress management  
  • couple communication and depression  
  • projective couple systems and the function of depression  
  • acceptance and tolerance in an intimate couple relationship  
  • shared problem-solving for couples 
  • intimacy, loss, and depression 
  • MBT techniques for dysregulated couples 

View PDF flyer >>

  • Overview

    Based on NICE guidelines, Couple Therapy for Depression is a brief integrative-behavioural treatment for depression for couples where one or both partners are experiencing relationship distress and depression. It has been developed by identifying best practice in a range of behavioural, systemic, psychodynamic, cognitive and emotionally focussed couple therapies evidenced in RCT effectiveness trials. Couple Therapy for Depression focuses on the relational aspects of depression and on factors that reduce stress and increase support within the couple, using the relationship as a resource for recovery and relapse prevention.

    This course provides private counselling and psychotherapy practitioners training in Couple Therapy for Depression.

  • Content

    The training will include:

    • teaching on the relational aspects of depression
    • learning around couple and individual stress management
    • techniques to broaden couple communication, with links to depression
    • theory concerning projective couple systems and the function of depression
    • learning on acceptance and tolerance in an intimate couple relationship
    • techniques to help couples create new ways to share problem-solving
    • learning around intimacy, loss, and depression
    • attachment patterns and links to depression
    • MBT techniques for dysregulated couples
    • interventions to help couples use their relationship as a shared resource and prevent relapse

  • Who this course is for

    This course is suitable for non-NHS couple therapists and counsellors who want to gain a working knowledge of a brief, evidence-based approach to working with couples who suffer from depression, to support and enhance their existing therapy skills.

  • About the course leaders

    Kate Thompson

    Kate is Tavistock Relationships' Head of Couple Therapy for Depression, Projects and Business Development. She is a qualified couple psychoanalytic psychotherapist and is registered with BPC and BACP. In addition to her clinical and training responsibilities, she has coedited Engaging Couples: New Directions in Therapeutic Work with Families, alongside Chris Clulow and Andrew Balfour, published by Routledge.

    Velia Carruthers

    Velia is a couple psychodynamic psychotherapist and psychosexual therapist. She is Training Team Leader for CTfD, delivering trainings and supervising NHS therapists. Alongside this role, Velia sees clinical cases within Tavistock Relationships’ general and psychosexual services, as well as within the Mentalization-Based Therapy team. She also has a private practice in London. Velia is registered with BACP and COSRT.

How to apply for this course

Download the application form from below.

Please note that applications should be submitted as either Word or PDF file types.

Email the completed form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Download application form (Microsoft Word)

Enquire about this course

Note: Please make sure to select 'CPD' from the 'Range of Courses' dropdown menu in the form below.

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Student testimonials

It was fantastic to be part of some really great training.

I really enjoyed learning about couple dynamics and how to work with this. It was nice having more than one facilitator and I found them all to be warm and insightful.

The formulation guides the work and provide a framework which can help in the understanding of the relational aspects.

Former students

Get in touch.

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