SYSTEMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
Systemic psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy focusing especially on relationships. These can be our immediate relationships - parents, family, friends, work colleagues, partners - but also the wider cultural, community and religious aspects of our lives. The quality of these relationships affects all aspects of our wellbeing, and especially our psychological and emotional health.
Systemic psychotherapists who are members of the College for Family, Couple and Systemic Therapy, can work with teams, families, couples or individuals of all ages, including young children. They are often called family or couple psychotherapists.
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​​​For Individuals
For people who prefer individual sessions, systemic therapy can offer a powerful way to understand yourself in the context of the relationships and environments that shape your life. It helps you explore how the people around you, your experiences, your health, and significant events influence your thoughts, feelings, coping strategies, and the ways you connect with others—whether that’s navigating closeness, setting boundaries, or asking for or declining support.
In our work together, we’ll look at these patterns with curiosity and compassion, making sense of how they developed and how they affect your wellbeing today. As you gain clarity and new ways of responding, you may find yourself feeling more grounded, more resourced, and more able to move forward in ways that feel aligned and in charge of your life.
For couples
Couple therapy can help couples of whichever marital status or sexual orientation resolve difficulties and improve communication. It can also help them manage infidelity, separation, divorce, life-cycle transitions, or just provide a neutral place for conversations.
When working with couples, I draw from systemic and narrative ideas, as well as researched models such as Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Exeter Model of Couple Therapy.
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For families
I am trained to work with more than one person in the room, explore difficult feelings and thoughts safely, and understand each other's experiences and perspectives which can then facilitate positive changes in their relationships. According to the UKCP, Family Therapy can help families when, for example: a) they are feeling overwhelmed, sad and angry; b) they are not sure of what to do for the best; c) they feel stuck in repeating patterns of hurtful or harmful behaviour.
When working with families, systemic therapists take into consideration that families come in all shapes and sizes beyond the traditional notion of nuclear family (e.g. extended families, adoptive and foster families, transnational families, families of choice) but they also recognise that there are differing ideas about what makes a well-functioning family.
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WHO IS SYSTEMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR?
WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW LONG DOES THERAPY LAST?
Systemic psychotherapy is a talking therapy, but it can involve non-verbal activities such as drawing, writing, or moving about, especially with children.
What we will focus on in our sessions will be decided with you, taking into consideration the issues affecting you, and your preferences.
I also take into account research and clinical evidence when deciding how to 'go on', and will regularly name this with you and ask for your feedback.
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Couple and family sessions are generally held every 2 to 3 weeks. Some sessions may involve just one or a few family members, whilst others may be bigger meetings and include people in different combinations, according to your goals and wishes.
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How long does it last?
Sessions last around 60 minutes. In some cases, we may agree to meet for 90 minutes, depending on what works better for you.
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Therapy duration varies from person to person or family to family. However, I will invite us to review our work together every 6 sessions to ensure that we are working on your goals and doing so at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.