Higher demand for couple therapy combined with a lack of trained therapists means many people in the UK are not getting the support they need. A study by Relate found nearly one-in-five (18%) of the population (2.87 million) are in relationships which could be characterised as ‘distressed’.  Yet the coverage of specialist relationship help (trained couple counsellors or psychotherapists) shows that there is only one therapist available for every 21,500 people living in the UK.

Further evidence provided of the link between improving relationships with couple therapy as a way to enhance the nation’s mental health.

Figures released today (27 February 2018) by NHS Digital show that people who are fortunate enough to gain access to mental health services that offer the Couple Therapy for Depression treatment, when needing help with their anxiety or depression, are more likely to recover from symptoms of depression and anxiety. This type of couple therapy is delivered via the NHS by therapists trained at Tavistock Relationships.

Intervention offering relationship-focused group work for parents recognised by the Children & Young People Now Awards

The Parents as Partners programme, a group-based approach to strengthening parental couple relationships and  family life, was named the 'Best Family Support Intervention' at the Children & Young People Now awards ceremony last night at the Lancaster Hotel, London.

New study calls for more recognition of the positive effect relationship counselling has in improving family dynamics together with the mental health of adults and children. 

Despite the fact that almost 1 in 5 couples are in ‘distressed’ relationships  and that ‘family relationship difficulties’ is the most common reason why children present to mental health services,  a recent YouGov poll, commissioned by Tavistock Relationships, has found that 64% of people in long-term, committed relationships would be unlikely to seek help from a couple counsellor if their relationship was in difficulty; by some margin the biggest reason for this reluctance, or uncertainty, was scepticism about whether couple therapy works (43%).or uncertainty, was scepticism about whether couple therapy works (43%). 

Supporting relationships makes economic sense, says relationship charities’ manifesto

The future government should do more to support healthy couple, co-parenting and family relationships to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and make significant savings to the public purse. This is according to the Relationships Alliance 2017 Manifesto, launched in anticipation of the general election.

The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that Tavistock Relationships has today accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Tavistock Relationships, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors; receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.75 - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.95 and the new minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour introduced this April.

We Need to Talk: We Need More Psychological Therapies

Tavistock Relationships is a member of We Need to Talk, a coalition of mental health charities, professional organisations, Royal Colleges and service users who campaign for better access to psychological therapies for children and adults with mental health problems.

We Need to Talk has published a 2017 Election Manifesto calling on all the political parties to include the following in their manifestos:

• Increased access and capacity
• Shorter waiting times
• Quality services
• Joined up services

Tavistock Relationships and Harrow Council welcome the Department for Education’s announcement, as part of its Safeguarding Grants programme 2016-2018, to fund their joint project to safeguard Harrow children affected by domestic violence.

Tavistock Relationships Launches New Online Psychotherapy Service

Couples can now access specialist help via webcam

Tavistock Relationships, a world-leading centre of excellence in providing couple therapy and individual counselling, is entering new ground by offering therapy and counselling for couples and individuals online via webcam. 

Tavistock Relationships' Parents as Partners programme awarded the highest rating of all interventions reviewed by Early Intervention Foundation

The publication of the Early Intervention Foundation's review today on What works to enhance interparental relationships and improve outcomes for children marks an important step forward in not only recognising the impact of interparental conflict on children but, more importantly, developing and supporting interventions which can improve the life chances of children affected.  As the review states, “Children are affected in different ways across a range of negative outcomes as a result of negative family conditions marked by hostile levels of inter-parental conflict”.

Press Release:

For Immediate Release

If you want free counselling for relationship and mental health issues, you may have to move to Newham 

Press Release: For Immediate Release

In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships (TCCR) unveils its new web-based clinical chat service - Chat First. This initiative will enable couples or individuals to ask any questions about couple therapy prior to entering the consultation room.

The Parents in Dispute Therapeutic programme engages with the most difficult cases and provides an alternative to protracted and damaging court battles for separated couples and their children.

You Can read our response to the announcement by the Government to double the amount of funding available for relationship support over this Parliament here.

TCCR begins delivery of innovative counselling model in Harrow to help couples who are violent towards one another to stop.

As part of an ambition to develop and enhance its approach to dealing with couples who are violent towards one another (that is, who are involved in situational couple violence), Harrow Council has commissioned TCCR to deliver an innovative counselling intervention with a small number of carefully selected couples.

Tavistock Centre calls for new family hubs to support couple relationships

Conservative conference hears that embedding relationship support in a new model of children centre service delivery is fundamental to tackling the £47 billion cost of relationship breakdown.

Speaking at a CSJ fringe event with the Relationship Allinance, at the Conservative Party Annual Conference in Manchester, Susanna Abse, Chief Executive of The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships emphasised the importance of ensuring that relational approaches to working with parents and families become central to the work of children's centres, the role of which is being consulted on this autumn. 

Mental health service users and professional bodies call on the Government to ensure that patients can access a range of talking therapies for depression

The campaigning organisation for people with experience of depression, Depression Alliance, along with the leading professional bodies in the mental health sector – including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Psychological Society and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – have urged the Government to do more to address the lack of choice of talking therapy available in the NHS.

TCCR leads call from prominent academics, parliamentarians and voluntary sector leaders for greater investment in relationship support

TCCR has secured a share of a £1.7 million fund to help couples who have adopted children.

TCCR was successfully selected to receive over £190,000 from the adoption tranche of the National Prospectus Grant, awarded by the Department for Education (DfE). The grant will enable TCCR to work with couples over the next 12 months, providing essential support and offering a variety of tailored therapeutic services specially designed for adoptive couples which have hitherto been unavailable.

Innovative group parenting programme reduces parents' psychological distress, improves relationship quality and parenting skills, helping participants and their children

The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships and Family Action have reported outstanding outcomes for the jointly-run group based parenting intervention, Parents as Partners, at the programme’s recent national conference.