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Relationship Goals 2.0

*****UPDATE*****

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Relationship Goals 2.0 events are suspended until future notice. My online course Love In Lockdown is available to support you through this difficult time. Please join my mailing list for further updates.

What does love look like on the other side of having kids?

Relationship Goals 2.0 is a relaxed event where parents have fun together while learning about the skills and habits that keep couples happy.

We meet in a private room above a pub, where we start with a brief talk from me. The talk is on a different theme each time, breaking down what the research tells us about how to have a great relationship.

Then you have some fun together doing an activity which is designed to be interesting, fun, and deepen your connection.

Come as a couple, with a friend or on your own. I’ll send you home with prompts to help you continue the conversation with your partner.

You can share as little or as much as you like about what becoming parents has meant for your relationship.

What People Say About Relationship Goals 2.0

“It was lighthearted and fun, got us chatting. Wasn’t as ‘deep’ as I thought – and that’s a good thing!”

 

“Really enjoyed your openness and enthusiasm.”

 

“Lovely environment.”

 

“It was so comforting to hear/see that others are going through similar things.”

 

“Good game to stimulate conversation and discussion/talking points – I learnt a few things I didn’t know!”

 

“The structure was great – having a bit of info/presentation followed by something interactive and fun.”

 

“Very approachable.”

 

“Relaxed atmosphere with no pressure to talk to the whole group.”

 

“Reassurance that ups and downs are normal.”

 

“Loved the game – was great to do something fun with my husband, something we don’t usually do, and to realise our similarities.”

 

Relationship Goals 2.0: Upcoming Events

Relationship Goals 2.0 is held upstairs at The Poets Ale and Smoke House, 33 Montgomery Street, Hove, BN3 5BF.

Each event has its own theme, based on what the research tells us about how the happiest couples approach their relationships.

The themes are: TOGETHERNESS · CURIOSITY · RESPECT · ATTENTION · POSITIVITY · SPACE · UNDERSTANDING · HOPE · WELLBEING · CLOSENESS.

Each event is different, and each is designed to build on the last. So if you want to get the most benefit to your relationship, come along to as many events as you can so that you don’t miss a thing.

Date TBC – UNDERSTANDING:

  • Raising issues gently and constructively
  • Understanding each other’s points of view
  • Changing direction when your discussions take a turn for the worse
  • How to be masters of the art of compromise

If you have any questions, you can contact me here. Otherwise I’ll look forwards to seeing you at an event soon!

P.S. Can’t make a date or not local to Brighton and Hove? I’m working on making this available to you online soon! Join my mailing list for updates.

P.P.S. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to make sure you’re first to hear about future events.

Counselling and Therapy

Counselling and Therapy - Sunset through a wheat field

Sex After Kids

Sex After Kids Image - Couple embracing in bed

Relationship Issues

Relationship Issues Image - People sat facing a large window

Anxiety Counselling

Anxiety Counselling - Woman sitting beneath tables with her head down

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Image - checkboxes and notes being written in a book

Couples Counselling

Couples Counselling - Couple walking through a field holding hands

Walk and Talk Therapy

Walk and talk Therapy Image - image of a path through a park

Bereavement Counselling

Bereavement Counselling Image - Cluster of lit candles in the dark

Really good value for money

I felt that my session was really good value for money because Catherine shared models of relationships, gave me recommendations for further therapy, gave me the space to talk, challenged (in a positive way) my position so that I could reflect and she also got me thinking about the areas that I would benefit from working on. Overall, I felt that she held a very effective clinical space, whilst also creating feelings of warmth and understanding. 

One-off Coaching Session, November 2020

Definitely go for it

 

What would you tell someone else who was considering working with Catherine?

Definitely go for it; Catherine is very professional and very good at what she does.

One-off Coaching Session, November 2020

I got more out of that one hour than I expected

What would you tell someone else who was considering working with Catherine?

She'll help "calm the crazy" as I like to say. Motherhood and marriage is messy and amazing and hard. It's such a huge life transition and so little is discussed around it. Catherine really validated my experience and gave me some great advice.

I got more out of that one hour than I expected. I really appreciated it. It made me want to sign up with her as my therapist!

One-off Coaching Session, February 2021

Practical examples of things to try

What was most helpful about working with Catherine?

Normalising patterns and behaviour that I am experiencing within my relationship currently. Offering hope that things can improve, giving me practical examples of things to try and tweak over the next few weeks. Giving me the permission to continue on my growth journey without expecting my partner to be on the same path or feeling responsible for his growth and overall life satisfaction. Also being encouraged to write about some of the topics you wanted to cover on the call in as much detail as you wanted was really liberating. Catherine took great care in digesting my information and usefully played it back to me during out session. She also sent many useful resources afterwards which I have been able to digest at my own pace.

One-off Coaching Call, March 2021

So many things were helpful

So many things were helpful that it is hard to choose just one. Most helpful was probably how compassionate you were towards me. This slowly helped me shift the way that I relate to myself. Counselling felt like a very safe and warm space, in which I could  look at myself with more kindness and allow myself to express feelings and needs. This has helped me personally as well as making me more open in my relationships with other people, privately and at work. Thank you Catherine. The two years with you have meant a lot to me and have changed me in many ways.

Individual Therapy, October 2020

I could not have asked for a better independent witness to my story

I could not have asked for a better independent witness to my story than Catherine. As she joined me on my journey she was kind and supportive. Encouraging me to see things in a different light. I will probably return at some stage; Catherine's instinctive approach and skill of picking out key elements in my narrative helped me make sense of things at this difficult time for me. Thank you. Everything was clear & straight forward. Which is no mean feat when you are operating in a global pandemic!!

Individual Therapy, August 2020

Her manner was calm and comforting

What made you decide to book a call with Catherine?

Her content on Instagram really resonated with me in terms of what I was going through with my partner. On her stories her manner was calm and comforting. She had a sense of quiet confidence about her and pragmatism in the way she approached different topics.

One-off Coaching Call, March 2021

Catherine is pragmatic, considerate, practical

Catherine is pragmatic, considerate, practical. She puts you at ease, listens and is what she preaches curiously compassionate 😉 She takes all the potential shame or guilt around asking for help out of the equation and provides you with so many practical and theoretical (if you want that too) tips and advice.

One-off Coaching Call, March 2021

Catherine always remained calm and collected

Catherine always remained calm and collected even during times filled with conflict in couples therapy. She managed to bring back my then boyfriend to a calmer state and I felt like she was standing up for me when I couldn't. I felt like I had a good bond with her and trusted her so that I could open up in front of her.

Couples Therapy, August 2020

I feel I am in a very different place

One of the most useful things about going to counselling was learning so much about myself. I feel I am in a very different place from when I first started and I owe it to the support and help which Catherine offered. I will not rule out returning if I feel I need to, but for now I feel happy with the place I am in.

Individual Therapy, July 2019

Such a calming force

[Catherine] was such a calming force, I felt very supported, she pointed out a few things I should look at, gave a book recommendation, she reframed some of the issues I had swirling around in my head, and she was able to bring the conversation to really nice ending point.

One-off Coaching Session, February 2021

I really found the whole experience really helpful

What was most helpful about your counselling?

Having a different perspective on my situation and what I was going through. Talking through how I was feeling and then being directed by Catherine to look at things in a different way and make connections to other parts of my life and relationships helped to make sense of things. I really found the whole experience really helpful and exactly what I needed at the point I was at. Thank you for your help.

Individual Therapy, June 2018

You were excellent

Thanks for all your help. I will be in touch if I need to in the future. You were excellent.

Couples Therapy, November 2017

I felt extremely well heard and held

What was most helpful about working with Catherine?

The clarity of her questions, including when completing the questionnaire before the session. Catherine's style of covering the points that I raised in a direct but sensitive way; I felt extremely well heard and held.

One-off Coaching Session, November 2020

Catherine was wise and supportive

Catherine was wise and supportive, picking out elements of my story and helping me see things in a different way. I will probably return at some stage; Catherine has been very kind and helpful at a difficult time in my life.

Individual Therapy, August 2017

She helped me through the fog of self doubt

Catherine describes herself as a demystifier – and she is. But not just of psychobabble. She helped me through the fog of self doubt, delusion, depression that clouded me in a difficult period of my life. And in place of fog she helped install the ropes and tackle I needed to climb onto dry land, out from the cold, and find a seat back by the fire. But equally, she possesses a superpower (and a useful one for a therapist): she has an off-the-chart ability to listen. To make you hear her listening, to adjust the quality of silence you sometimes need to say what you didn’t know you were going to say, to make you feel heard. Her empathy is palpable; yet I’ve never once felt patronised. Most extraordinary is that she does all this without judgement or prejudice, but with sincerity and good humour. It’s pretty much the perfect combination and I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t benefit from talking to Catherine. And I can’t thank her enough.

Individual Therapy, January 2018

The help you’ve given me has been invaluable

I just want to say a huge thank you for the past year. The help you’ve given me has been invaluable and I’ve learnt so much about myself, my past, and my relationship to the wider world. Your guidance and help will stand to me for the rest of my life and I’ve made so many positive changes in the past year, a lot of which I feel I owe to you. Thank you so much for everything.

Individual Therapy, May 2017