The quality of our relationships that we have with those closest to us has a fundamental impact on our health and wellbeing throughout our lives.

Evidence shows that the quality of our couple and family relationships is linked directly to specific areas of health including cardiovascular disease, alcohol/substance misuse, depression and mental health, obesity, and children’s mental health. It is estimated that 60% of people with depression attribute relationship problems as the main cause for their illness.

It is increasingly recognised that the quality of relationships is key to health, rather than family type or structure. Healthy family stability and good relationships between partners result in positive outcomes for families.

Couple therapy or counselling is a way to improve communication between two people where difficulties in the relationship have become apparent. The therapy can be used to address a specific issue, or can be used to develop an understanding of the wider situation or context.

Couple therapy is not necessarily about repairing a broken relationship; rather it is about exploring and understanding the development and maintenance of the difficulties and together seeking potential solutions or ways to move forward.

Couple therapy is an effective way for treating depression. An additional benefit of this approach is that it also treats the couple relationship which helps prevent relapse of depression as well as improving the family circumstances for any children and reducing their chance of having depression in later life.