Problems with Unqualified Therapists

You may have seen the headlines on BBC news over the last few days about problems with unqualified therapists exploiting vulnerable patients.

With a growing number of people struggling with mental health problems in the UK, many are looking for counselling or therapy services. But the largest membership body of therapists has raised concerns that unqualified practitioners offering treatments online are potentially exploiting vulnerable people. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is calling for more awareness of the best way to seek help.

Here’s the link to the BBC news story about the problems with unqualified therapists:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-59162715

Examples of problems

In one of the examples, the client, Jake said “The calls would be interrupted by background noise as the practitioner walked down the street, got taxi rides or even ate meals. He says the sessions were cut short at 20 minutes. He would be told this was his fault…”.

Jake also said “A 15-minute introductory session on the phone cost £200. Jake says he felt the practitioner was someone he could relate to and paid a further £1,200 for six 50-minute phone sessions”.

Professional, BACP-qualified counsellors and therapists go to great lengths to ensure there is minimal background noise. Also they would not cut an appointment short.

London Couples Clinic provides an  initial 15-minute call which is free. Furthermore, individual relationship therapy and individual PST costs £80 per appointment. Couples counselling  and Couples PST costs £100 per appointment.

All of our counsellors are members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). They also have many years’ experience in all types of relationship counselling and therapy.  Look for the BACP logo and check that you’re seeing a fully qualified BACP counsellor or therapist.

Contact London Couples Clinic if you would like to receive counselling or therapy from an experienced, BACP-qualified counsellor.

‘Agreeing to therapy shows that you care’

Well known couples therapist, Andrew G Marshall, explains about deciding to start relationship therapy in this newspaper article. He says that ‘agreeing to therapy shows that you care’.

Here’s a link to the article:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/08/relationship-therapy

Here are some more selected quotes from Andrew G Marshall’s  article:

“People often ask me how a couple can tell if they would benefit from relationship therapy; how they can recognise that their problems can no longer be dealt with at home, together. There’s no simple answer, but often we get a sense that things are reaching stalemate. Perhaps you and your partner are arguing about the stupidest things and these rows quickly escalate into something nasty.”

“Personally, I’m always interested in what makes a couple seek help right now, as opposed to in the months or years during which the problems have been building. I also like to hear each partner’s individual perspective.”

Andrew G Marshall writes about relationships and is the author of The Single Trap: The Two-Step Guide to Escaping and Finding lasting Love, and I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You (Bloomsbury).

From a former client:

“I found myself agreeing to therapy at the point when we were seriously discussing moving in together. Our relationship was mostly great. But as we only spent two or three days together each week, I was worried about us getting along on a day-to-day basis. 

We’ve both had previous failed marriages and we didn’t want to go through that again. Our weekly therapy appointments enabled us to have the tough conversations without getting into stalemate situations. And ultimately we found lastly solutions to our differences. We are looking forward to a stronger future together. Thank you!”

We provide relationship therapy at London Couples Clinic both couples and individuals, and for every stage of relationships. 

 

 

The first year of marriage can be difficult

Many couples tied the knot over the summer and now they might be finding the first year of marriage can be difficult. The year leading up to the wedding is generally stressful. Plus there can be a massive anti-climax after the big day. After the excitement of a wedding and a honeymoon, settling into everyday life can seem plain boring. Cohabitation and marriage may seem the same but there’s one big difference, you  have signed a legal  binding contract. As you are now in a permanent union, every row seems more significant than when you were living together. 

The first year of marriage can be difficult but here’s an article with some ideas on how to help cope with those bumps along the road.

https://www.brides.com/story/the-first-year-of-marriage-is-tough

 

Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship

Andrew Marshall is a renowned therapist and his latest book is The Happy Couple’s Handbook – Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship.

“Marshall draws on thirty plus years working with over three thousand clients to give you his tried and tested tool kit for a happy marriage. It includes:

• The rules for constructive arguments
• How to be a better listener
• Use carrots rather than sticks
• How to forgive and move on”

Here’s a link to Andrew Marshall’s website:

https://andrewgmarshall.com/

 

A Great Sex Life?

What is A Great Sex Life? It can mean different things to different people at different stages of their lives.

‘Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life,’  written by Dr. Emily Nagoski is a New York Times bestselling book. If you’re thinking of buying the book then have a look at the positive reviews and comments on https://www.amazon.co.uk/. You can watch Dr Nagoski on this Ted talk:

 

We provide Psychosexual Therapy (also called PST or Sex Therapy) through Christine Hanaie:

https://londoncouplesclinic.co.uk/psychosexual-therapy-pst/

https://londoncouplesclinic.co.uk/christine-hanaie/

10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage

John Gottman of the Gottman Institute is the co-author of many acclaimed books including “10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage”, “The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work” and “What Makes Love Last”. 

The takeaway for me from “10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage” is that some problems in a relationship are perpetual and never solved. These can be differences of personality or lifestyle. You like to get up early but your partner is a night owl. You like your home to be clean and tidy while your partner has a more relaxed attitude. Although this can sound like an insoluble situation, masters of relationships manage these difference by open dialogue and sometimes with humour. Here’s a YouTube link to John Gottman and his co-author Julie Schwartz Gottman discussing the concepts in their book  “10 Lessons to transform your marriage”.

“What emerged from the Gottmans’ collaboration and decades of research is a body of advice that’s based on two surprisingly simple truths: Happily married couples behave like good friends, and they handle their conflicts in gentle, positive ways. The authors offer an intimate look at ten couples who have learned to work through potentially destructive problems–extramarital affairs, workaholism, parenthood adjustments, serious illnesses, lack of intimacy–and examine what they’ve done to improve communication and get their marriages back on track.”

The Marriage Minute

Through the Gottman Institute’s website you can sign up for free bi-weekly emails called The Marriage Minute. The free bi-weekly emails give clear tips for improving relationships which are backed up by over 50 years of research with thousands of couples. What I particularly like about their work on relationships is that it is based on scientific direct observations. Here’s a link to the Gottman Institute website:

https://www.gottman.com/marriage-minute/

We offer a range of online counselling and therapy options for couples and individuals