Communication & conflict
Breaking the cycle of the same argument, learning to express needs without blame, and to listen without defending.
Relationship Counselling
Relationship Counselling in Brighton & Hove
Most relationship difficulties are echoes of the past replaying now. In a supportive, non‑judgemental space, for couples or individuals, we'll find a way through the conflict, distance and miscommunication that's been wearing you down.
When connection turns into conflict
Few things hurt like struggling with the person you're meant to be closest to. Maybe the same arguments keep going round in circles. Maybe you've drifted into distance and politeness. Maybe trust has been broken and you're not sure it can be rebuilt, or whether you want to.
Addiction, anxiety and low mood place enormous strain on relationships, often leading to conflict, withdrawal and mistrust. But the friction in the present is usually powered by something older: unmet needs, early templates for love and safety, and protective habits that once kept us safe and now keep us apart.
Relationship counselling is a safe place to slow all of that down, to understand the pattern you're both caught in, and to learn healthier ways of hearing and being heard.
What we work on
Common reasons people come to relationship counselling
Trust & repair
Rebuilding safety after betrayal, dishonesty or the strain of addiction, at a pace that feels manageable for both of you.
Distance & disconnection
Finding your way back to closeness when life, stress or low mood has left you feeling more like flatmates than partners.
Addiction in relationships
Support where one partner's addiction or compulsive behaviour has affected the other, including those living alongside a loved one's addiction.
Anxiety & reassurance
Working with the anxiety, people‑pleasing and need for control that can quietly drive a wedge between two people.
Individual relationship work
You don't need to come as a couple. Many clients work on relationship patterns on their own, which often changes the whole dynamic.
How I work with couples and individuals
My approach is integrative, person‑centred and tailored around you. We're not looking for someone to blame, we're looking at the system the two of you create together, and where it gets stuck.
Sessions are a collaborative dialogue. We'll map the recurring pattern, notice the moment it tips from connection into protection, and practise doing it differently. Where it helps, I draw on relational therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Human Givens approaches to work with the unmet needs underneath the friction.
If you're not sure whether couples work or individual work is right, that's exactly what a free 15‑minute call is for. You can read more about how I work, session lengths and fees too.
Start the conversationQuestions
Relationship counselling FAQs
Do we both need to attend?
No. Couples counselling can be powerful, but a great deal of change happens when one person works on their own patterns. We can start with whoever is ready, in Hove or online.
Can counselling help if addiction is involved?
Yes. I specialise in the overlap between addiction, anxiety, depression and relationships, and I support both people living with addiction and those affected by a partner's. See addiction counselling for more.
Where are you based?
My office is in Hove, on Western Road, serving couples across Brighton, Hove and Sussex, with online sessions available UK‑wide.
Find your way back to each other
Book a free 15‑minute consultation and we'll talk through what's been happening and how relationship counselling could help, no obligation, no judgement.
Areas we cover
Relationship Counselling across Brighton, Hove & Sussex
In-person relationship counselling in towns across the area, and online right across the UK. Choose your area for local detail.