The Challenge In this post, the second in the Despatches from the Retreat series, we want to look at relationships, particularly intimate relationships, and the potential dynamics between the partners. With the difficulties of COVID-19, these dynamics can be an extra challenge, because many of us are forced to be in closer contact with our [...]
This is the first of our planned series of blog posts Despatches from the Retreat. With these posts we hope to provide support and encouragement during this difficult time for the planet and for its inhabitants. Our Inner Struggles These are difficult times for us all with the coronavirus. We all feel the need for [...]
Couples Therapy as More than Conflict Resolution At Therapy Duo, in Couples therapy, we often take a psycho-educational role and offer very practical tips for resolving couple conflicts. But we are also always aware of another level operating in the couple relationships we see. This level can be hard to pin down and define, and [...]
The Material World – Where is Soul? Ours is said to be an age predominantly of materialism. We’ve deconstructed so many stories and beliefs and, with the aid of science, have commonly settled on the view that the world is dead matter and available for use in almost any way. A problem is that this [...]
The Clocks Strike Thirteen It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. So goes the well-known opening sentence of George Orwell’s classic novel 1984. The novel remains a extraordinary description of a future that Orwell feared and, although written in 1949, remains a future that some would say we [...]
The Irrepressible Dog Living in the city we see daily the reverence and attention that people give to their dogs. At our nearby harbour-side dog park there’s rich energy – frivolous, wild, serious things happen between the dogs down there (and between their owners!) Despite our lives becoming increasing embedded in the infrastructures of the [...]
Difference in Counselling and Psychotherapy One of the big themes we see in Counselling and Psychotherapy with both couples and individuals is a difficulty in accepting and dealing with difference, and the conflicts associated with this. This post is a short meditation on difference. Sometimes Masked in Counselling Here are some examples from Counselling that [...]
Triggers Something we’ve found very useful when working with clients is getting them to tune into themselves to understand when they are getting triggered. We use the word “triggered” to identify when someone has an emotional reaction which may be unproductive (and is usually based on old patterns), in any situation, and then acts based [...]
Wu-Wei and the Lake Como Storm We awoke one night at Lake Como this (Northern) summer to a powerful storm with endless rolling thunder. The air was lit with bright sheets of lightning, the rain hammered down, and the power in our apartment was cut off. This went on for hours, and all we could [...]
Couple Arguments When couples come to us saying they have communication issues it is usually due to one or two of the following reasons: Real-World Issues: such as differences of opinion on money, family, debt, children, blended families, houses. Attachment Issues. This often shows up in communication as couples fighting about how they fight. The [...]