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Couples Therapy
​A space to understand one another more deeply

Relationships can be a source of love, support, and meaning, but they can also become places where understanding, distance, and unresolved hurt begin to take hold. Over time, patterns of communication can develop that leave partners feeling unheard, misunderstood, or emotionally disconnected. 

Couples counselling offers a space where both partners can pause and reflect on what is happening within the relationship. Rather than focusing on blame or deciding who is right or wrong, the work centres on understanding the patterns, emotions, and experiences that shape how each person relates to the other. 

In our work together, we explore how communication unfolds between you, how conflict is experienced, and how emotional needs are expressed or sometimes left unspoken. Often the difficulties couples face are not simply about the issue being argued about, but about deeper patterns that have developed over time. 

My approach draws on relational and existential perspectives. This means we pay attention not only to the difficulties within the relationship itself, but also to the personal histories, expectations, and experiences that shape how each person approaches closeness, vulnerability, and conflict. 

Couples seek therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there is a specific difficulty that has brought partners to therapy, while at other times there is a growing sense of distance or a feeling that something important in the relationship has been lost. 

What we may explore together
  • recurring patterns of conflict or communication difficulties
  • feelings of emotional distance or disconnection
  • rebuilding trust after betrayal or rupture
  • navigating major life transitions or external pressures
  • strengthening connection and mutual understanding

Couples counselling is not about assigning fault or deciding who is right. Instead, it offers a structured and supportive space where both partners can be heard and where the relationship itself can be understood more clearly. Through this process, many couples begin to develop new ways of communicating, responding to one another, and navigating challenges together. 

If you would like to explore whether couples counselling might be helpful for you, please feel free to get in touch using the enquiry form below. 

Sessions are 70 minutes and are available online or in person in London. 

Many couples begin therapy when they realise they are having the same conversation again and again, but without feeling any closer to understanding one another. 

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© 2026 Dr Derek McKenzie. All rights reserved. 

The concepts, written material, and original frameworks presented on this website are intellectual property of Dr Derek McKenzie.

​No part may be reproduced, distributed, or used without prior written permission. 

Africana Critical Race Framework™️ and related theoretical concepts are original intellectual contributions by Dr Derek McKenzie .

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​
Email: derek @ mutualdialogue.co.uk
Mobile: 0798 3479 755
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  • Home
  • About
  • Therapy
  • Individual Counselling
  • Afrolantica Series
    • Talks. & Lectures >
      • Videos & Conversations
      • Essays & Ariticles >
        • Doing Epistemic Violence >
          • Reckoning with Empire >
            • Winning Isn't Healing >
              • The Hidden Architecture of Education >
                • When Therapy Cannot Hold You >
                  • Is it Possible to Dismantle the Centre Without Asking Permission
        • Upcoming Events
  • Fees
  • Africana Existential Psychotherapy