Over the last forty years, Imago therapy has proved itself capable of being a powerful path to change for you and your partner, if are willing to work hard, both in sessions and at home, to improve your relationship.
Imago Therapy is a form of couples counselling which is focused on enabling you and your partner to connect more deeply and re-discover joy in your relationship. Imago therapy does this through the Imago dialogue process. This is a structured form of conversation in which you and your partner will be helped to talk directly to one another about the things that really matter to you in your relationship: about the things that get in the way of you feeling close; about your needs and about what you desire for the relationship.
Safety is key to this process, because when we feel unsafe the most natural and understandable thing for us to do is to defend ourselves. Unfortunately, the behaviours which we use to defend ourselves almost always destroy connection and erode love and joy. The dialogue process will teach you how to communicate even the most vulnerable and painful things in safe ways that enable your partner to really hear and understand you.
Let me take a moment to explain why this former-divorce solicitor passionately believes that Imago therapy can help you.
So, what can you expect from working with me? You can expect me to:
- help you to reconnect with all that is positive in your relationship
- teach you a simple dialogue tool which will help you to hear and understand your partner even when their perspective is very different from yours
- teach you how to express difficult things safely without criticism, blame or judgement
- help you identify the things that happen between you that get in the way of connecting with each other
- help you to work out what is really going on in those fights you just keep having and then to vulnerably communicate your needs to each other
- help you to understand why you react the way you do when you feel criticised or threatened and teach you new ways to respond that strengthen your relationship
Working with me, you will gradually…
- communicate more effectively
- understand each other more deeply
- emotionally reconnect
- heal old wounds
- rediscover love and joy in your relationship.
I have learned so much about communication and relating to others through this process, that I feel will benefit every relationship in my life going forwards.
Emma
Imago therapy will ask you to be willing to:
- eliminate criticism, judgment and blame from your communication
- be vulnerable in sharing your own feelings and experiences within the relationship with your partner (don’t worry if you know you struggle with this, that is normal and it is my job to help you, you just need to be willing to learn)
- become genuinely curious about, and open to, your partner’s experience
- reflect on your own behaviour and how it contributes to the tension between you and learn new behaviours that help the relationship
Ali helped us to feel confident in our own thoughts and feelings, and process each other’s feelings, and the difficult issues we faced.
Debbie
I offer an initial session lasting 90 minutes in which we can talk briefly about what you are experiencing and in which I can introduce you to a little of the Imago dialogue process. This gives you an idea of what it would be like to work with me and will help you to decide if that is something you both want to do. I charge £90 per hour, meaning 90 minute sessions are £135. If you decide you do want us to work together then I suggest fortnightly sessions.
Here’s what you can expect from our first session:
Ali helped create a safe space for me and my ex to discuss the difficult ending of our relationship, making it possible for us to move forward with kindness and mutual respect, instead of fear and anger.
Hannah