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 [...]
Articles on Therapeutic Method
These articles provide reflections on the process of therapy and counselling, and on the different possible modalities and approaches to working with couples and individuals.
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
We’ve been wanting a simple primer for attachment theory for a while, and while there are several really good books around, not everyone wants to read a whole book on the subject to get an idea of what it’s about. We also wanted to give our view of this topic, after ten years of working [...]
Therapy Duo at the GANZ Conference We’re just back from the GANZ (Gestalt Australia and New Zealand) conference in Canberra where we gave a presentation on our eclectic approach to couples therapy. It was gratifying to receive such positive feedback on our way of working, and a great opportunity for us to reflect on how [...]
Changing Habits is Hard How Long Will it Take? This is a question that many starting therapy, or any new endeavour, may ask themselves. The answer’s not straightforward, but having said that there are some guidelines. Let’s assume you’re coming to therapy to work on your relationship (or an addiction, depression, or other ongoing issue) [...]
We’ve Come a Long Way We’ve come a long way in our approach to resolving differences between partners in couple relationships. For example, it was not until the 16th century that judicial marital duels began to die out, within Germanic culture. Here is one set of instructions for such a brutal duel: The man should [...]
Creative Character Development In Gestalt we’re often working with the Here and Now, with what’s arising in the present moment. But of course, what’s arising is often affected by our habitual patterns of coping, on our creative adaptations (as they’re termed in Gestalt). We call these adaptations “creative” because they have enabled us to accommodate [...]
Our Paper Working with Couple Interactions We’ve been busy this Easter and are pleased to report that our paper Working with Couple Interactions is now available for download as a PDF document. The paper describes a model we successfully use with couples to examine and improve the quality of their interactions. To get the paper, [...]