Adults, Couples, and Families
Psychological .
Adults, Couples, and Families
At My Family Psychologist in Gosforth, we take a systemic approach to adult therapy, couples counselling, and family psychology — recognising that emotional and mental health challenges rarely occur in isolation. They often affect relationships, communication, and family systems. Our experienced psychologists and therapists work with adults, couples, and families to rebuild trust, improve connection, and strengthen emotional wellbeing. They often influence and are influenced by the wider systems around them, including family, relationships, and social environments.
We provide individual and couples therapy, as well as solution-focused family therapy, to help clients make sense of complex emotional and relational issues. These may include family dynamics, sibling rivalry, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, or trauma.
In addition to therapeutic support, we also offer a comprehensive legal service for families, specialising in mediation, contact disputes, and marital or sexual difficulties. Our goal is to help you find clarity, rebuild trust, and restore balance in your personal and family life.
Source, Harvard Institute for Neuroscience, 2018.
Psychological Therapy for Couples
Psychological therapy for couples is designed to help partners understand and resolve conflicts, enhance communication, and strengthen their emotional connection. The focus is on gaining new perspectives about one another and learning healthier, more constructive ways of relating.
Through therapy, couples explore the patterns that influence their relationship — including thoughts, feelings, and behaviours — and develop practical skills to respond more positively to challenges. The process encourages greater empathy, understanding, and teamwork, helping both partners move from reactive to proactive ways of engaging.
Couples therapy often includes skills-based techniques, guided discussions, and reflective exercises that support mutual growth, emotional intimacy, and long-term relationship satisfaction.
Parent–Child Psychological Therapy
Parent–Child Psychological Therapy, also known as Family-Based Behavioural Treatment (FBBT), focuses on improving family dynamics by empowering parents to model positive behaviours for their children. This approach helps parents make meaningful behavioural changes themselves — setting a foundation for long-term improvement in their child’s wellbeing and development.
A key component of this therapy is parental training in child management and problem-solving skills, enabling parents to handle challenges with confidence and consistency.
Research has shown this treatment to be highly effective in addressing a range of issues, including childhood obesity, overweight management, and adolescent anorexia. By fostering collaboration and empathy between parents and children, this therapy supports healthier habits, stronger relationships, and emotional resilience within the family.
Systemic Psychological TherapyÂ
Solution-Focused Therapy is an approach to psychotherapy which is based on solution-building rather than problem-solving. It predominantly explores current resources and future hopes. This method takes the approach that you know what you need to do to improve your own life and, with the appropriate coaching and questioning, are capable of finding the best solutions.
Family Therapy
In Family Therapy, a therapist works with the entire family unit as a group and, at times, with subgroups or individual members. The goal is to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and promote understanding within the family system.
Family therapists focus on the family’s goals, values, and strengths, viewing the family as a crucial support network in helping children and adults recover from mental health challenges, substance use issues, and behavioural difficulties.
Therapy sessions encourage families to explore positive interaction patterns and identify behaviours or dynamics that may contribute to conflict or emotional distress. Through open discussion, improved empathy, and shared problem-solving, families learn to build healthier and more supportive relationships.
Attachment-Based Approach
The Attachment-Based Approach can be applied in individual, couple, family, or group therapy with both children and adults. This approach helps clients heal from fractured or disrupted relationships, often stemming from early experiences of emotional loss or inconsistent caregiving.
Attachment-based therapy is particularly beneficial for individuals who have experienced challenges in forming secure emotional bonds, such as:
Adoptees and children in foster care
Children of parents struggling with depression
Individuals affected by divorce or family separation
Survivors of trauma, abuse, or neglect — especially by a caregiver
Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) has been shown to be especially effective in treating adolescents experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts. The therapy aims to rebuild trust, strengthen emotional connection, and create a sense of security within key relationships.
By addressing attachment patterns and improving communication, families can foster resilience, empathy, and lasting emotional wellbeing.
If you would like to know more about how My Family Psychologist can help, call us on 07801 079555 or email luisa@myfamilypsychologist.com