About this course
An Introduction to Therapy with Couples explores the central theoretical concepts of psychodynamic couple therapy. It is designed for people who want to understand more about the world of couple relationships, as well as those considering a career change.
Key information
Course dates and times
This 11 week course takes place:
Monday evenings: 7pm - 8.30pm
(The UK moves from British Summer Time (BST) back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on Sunday, 25 October 2026)
Monday 21 September 2026 - Monday 7 December 2026
Reading week: 26 October 2026 - No Teaching
Location: Online via Zoom
Course fees: £1,300 *
* 20% discount for Trainee, NHS and public sector staff is available.
Email
* Group Rates (for 4 or more): Contact
* Trainee discount: To qualify for this offer you need to be taking a course which provides core practitioner training in counselling or psychotherapy that is at least one year full time or two years part time and recognised by the BACP or UKCP. TR reserves the right to ask to see evidence of training being undertaken. Please contact
In this 11-week online seminar series, participants will explore what it is like to work with couples in therapy. This comprehensive series offers both the opportunity to read theory by key figures in the field and to think, through group discussion, about its application in the work with couples. Film clips and relevant case material are also used to help you gain deeper insight and understanding into this fascinating and burgeoning area in the field of psychotherapy.
Topics covered include what brings couples together, shared unconscious relationships and couple fit, holding the ‘couple in mind’ in therapy, unconscious phantasy and beliefs, projective processes in couples, sex and sexualities, aggression and violence in couples, couples and parenting, ageing and relationships, depression and psychological issues, attachment styles within couples, and intergenerational aspects in relationships. Time is spent as a group discussing and reflecting on these topics, this type of work and the dynamic of couple relationships in therapy. With three in the room the work becomes quite different.
Our seminar leaders are both experienced couple therapists themselves, trained at Tavistock Relationships and immersed in the TR model of understanding and working with couples. This course offers CPD credits for psychotherapists and is a fantastic grounding to pursue any of our clinical trainings, whether you are a beginner looking for a career change or trained to work with individuals and interested to learn more about being with a couple in the room.
Please be aware this course does not result in a clinical qualification allowing you to undertake any form of practice in the field of Couple Psychotherapy and Counselling.
- Psychotherapists
- Psychosexual Therapists
- Psychoanalysts
- Psychologists
- Clinical Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- GPs
- Counsellors
- Social workers
- Teachers/Educators
- Anyone interested in couple relationships
No previous experience is necessary and we welcome applications from UK and international students. We respect all life experiences and provide a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
Each week there will be papers to read in advance available in your online learning hub account.
Each session will include a theoretical discussion, case material as well as time to think about what it might be like to work with couples.
Week 1 - First Encounters: The couple and the Culture they Create
21 September 2026
Week 2 - First Encounters: In the room
28 September 2026
Week 3 - Projective Processes: 'It's not me it's you!'
5 October 2026
Week 4 - Difference. The Seen and Unseen: Race, Intersectionality, Identity, Sexuality
12 October 2026
Week 5 - The Oedipal Situation and the Third: When two become three.
19 October 2026
*26 October - Reading Week - no teaching
Week 6 - Where do siblings and the wider family sit in couple relationships?
2 November 2026
Week 7 - Sex and sexuality: Through the Lens of the Psychosexual Model 2026
9 November 2026
Week 8 - Attachment and the Couple
16 November 2026
Week 9 - Mentalization Based Therapy for Couples
23 November 2026
Week 10 - Divorce and separation
30 November 2026
Week 11 - Ageing and Loss
7 December 2026
You will receive a certificate of attendance at the completion of this course.
To ensure satisfactory attendance and an optimised online learning environment, full participation of students is requested, with a requirement to attend the scheduled seminars for their full duration. A minimum of 80% attendance is needed to receive a certificate at the end of the course.
Book your place
To secure your place on this popular course, we highly recommend booking early.
Online information events
Learn more about this training programme by attending our one of our free online information events. It's a great opportunity to gather more information and ask any questions you may have.
View our online information events page for details of our next event.
Course leaders
Catherine Rashid (left) is a psychodynamic couple and individual psychotherapist, and she trained at Tavistock Relationships. She is a visiting clinician at TR, and has a private practice online and in-person in Warwickshire. Prior to retaining as a psychotherapist, Catherine had a decade-long career as a diplomat in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, including leadership roles in conflict-affected settings in the Middle East. She now provides teaching for the FCDO and private sector organisations on relationship resilience. She is also a mindfulness teacher and endurance runner, and co-leads trail running and mindfulness retreats in North Yorkshire.
Cass Vollmer (right) is a psychodynamic couple and individual psychotherapist, and a psychosexual therapist. Having spent her earlier career years in the business and education sectors, she retrained with Tavistock Relationships from 2016 to specialise in working with relationships. This was followed by a psychosexual therapy training, and Cass is now a tutor for the current training cohort. She has worked as a visiting clinician at TR and has a private practice based in East Grinstead and online.