A five-part series exploring what it takes to hold the complexity of couples work — drawing on Gottman, Tavistock, Kleinian and Jungian thinking, alongside Brad McLean's own integrative TA model.

There is often a moment in couples work when the atmosphere shifts. Not dramatically — just a tightening of tone, a small recalibration of posture. And you realise the work is asking something different of you.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that supervision rarely produces dramatic breakthroughs. More often, it produces subtle recalibration — a formulation softens, an assumption loosens, an emotional response becomes clearer. Occasionally it unsettles certainty. Sometimes it restores it. The question, for me, is not whether supervision was useful. It is what happens next.

If you’re already working as a counsellor or therapist, there may come a point where you begin to wonder about the next stage in your professional development. This doesn’t always arrive as a clear plan — sometimes it shows up as curiosity, restlessness, or a sense that your work is asking something slightly different of you. For many practitioners, training to work with couples becomes a natural next step. Is it the right step for you?

An overview of four types of passive behaviour that don't problem solve and lead to dissatisfaction.

Have you been thinking about exploring being a couples therapist and unsure how to start the journey? Our couples therapy trainer, Ian...