How can couples therapy help?
Every relationship goes through difficult patches. Sometimes it's a specific issue — a breakdown in communication, a breach of trust, or a disagreement about the future. Other times it's harder to put your finger on; things just feel stuck, distant, or like you're having the same argument on repeat.
Couples come to me at all different stages. Some come early, when they sense something shifting and want to address it before it takes hold. Others arrive at a real crossroads, wondering whether to stay or go. Wherever you are, therapy can help — and the sooner you come, the more room there is to work.
An inclusive space for all couples
I work with couples of all backgrounds, identities, and relationship structures. Whether you are in a heterosexual, same-sex, or non-binary relationship, or navigating a non-traditional relationship dynamic, you will find a genuinely welcoming and non-judgemental space here. A significant number of my clients identify as LGBTQ+, and I am experienced in working sensitively with the specific dynamics and pressures that can arise within those relationships.
Whoever you are and whatever your relationship looks like, you are welcome.
What happens in sessions?
Couples therapy is a space where both of you can speak openly, without it turning into an argument. The goal isn't to take sides or assign blame — it's to help you understand the patterns that have developed between you, where they come from, and how to change them.
I work integratively, drawing on different therapeutic approaches depending on what works best for each couple. One approach I draw on is Imago Relationship Therapy — a method that helps couples understand how their early experiences shape the way they relate to each other, and how to use that understanding to build a deeper, more conscious connection.
Sessions are calm, structured, and at your pace. Most couples find that even the first few sessions bring a sense of clarity — not necessarily easy answers, but a clearer picture of what's really going on.
Sessions are available in person at my practice in St Albans, or online via Zoom — whichever works best for you.
About
Meet Derrick, Your Therapist
I am a fully qualified integrative psychotherapist and Level 7 counsellor, registered with both BACP and UKCP. I hold a COSRT Level 5 Accredited Certificate in Couple and Relationship Therapy with The Grove Practice — one of the UK's leading centres for couples therapy training — and am listed on their Practitioner Directory.
I have a particular interest in working with couples navigating relationship difficulties. A significant number of the couples I work with identify as LGBTQ+, and I bring the same warmth and absence of judgement to every couple I see. Clients describe me as friendly, empathic, and thoughtful — someone who creates a space where it feels genuinely safe to talk.
A note on how I work as your couples therapist
It's important to understand that when we work together as a couple, I am the therapist for the relationship — not for either of you individually. This means my role is to help you both, equally, and to hold the space for the relationship itself. I don't take sides, and I don't carry work from our sessions into individual therapy with either partner. If individual therapy feels like something that would be useful alongside our couples work, I'm happy to discuss a referral.