Paul Collison

Through my training at Relate I have gained vital skills and specialist knowledge in helping couples on their journey of personal growth and development. I always keep in mind and respect how hard it might be opening up to a third person about a private matter within a relationship. I also acknowledge the pain and confusion that brings a couple to make this step.

I believe working with couples is different to working with individuals. The reason I feel it is different is because working with one person is about building a therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client. When working with couples the relationship stays with the couple and I help the relationship build. My job is to help with communication and unspoken emotions. When emotions are high it is difficult to hear each other, this is when it is helpful to have a trained professional like myself in the room to help navigate feelings.

I offer my clients a powerful and successful approach to fixing their relationship struggles. I am an experienced couple’s counsellor who has worked with many different couples over the years. I combine my counselling skills with coaching work in order to facilitate the best possible outcome. I have a passion for helping couples to bring effective communication back into their relationship, so that they can feel heard and understood within the partnership.

When looking at some of these issues, we may explore the following features which contribute to the unhappiness within the relationship:

• How our childhoods impact our relationships with each other
• How experiences in previous romantic relationships affect our current relationship
• How we may trigger each other unintentionally causing friction between us
• How we may avoid or distance ourselves from our partner to protect ourselves from getting hurt
• How we may use passive aggressive ways of communicating which may cause the other person to react
• How me may project our past experiences in relationships onto our current partner
• How we may be afraid of expressing our needs

I work with many different issues with special interest in

• Infidelity: lack of trust following an affair
• Different parenting ideals
• Lack of intimacy or conflicting physical needs
• Communication breakdown
• How financial stress impacts the relationship
• Anger issues or aggressive behaviour
• Alcoholism or drug addiction within the relationship
• Drifting apart emotionally or physically
• Sexual difficulties

Between sessions, I will give you both resources to read through and work on together. Below are some of the worksheet subjects:

• Blocks to healthy communication
• 5 languages of love
• The emotions wheel
• Non-defensive communication
• The drama triangle

Initially, it is most effective to have 6 sessions, we have an initial session together and then we have a session each individually, the first three sessions are information gathering as well as counselling work. We then come back together to work through helpful tools for communication and best ways forward for you both. We can evaluate (after the sixth session) how we all think therapy is going and to consider what is needed moving forward.

I work from the Practice Rooms in central Bath and Bristol, the rooms offer a quiet and peaceful environment for clients to feel safe and relaxed in.

I am now having great success with many couples and individuals via zoom, this gives clients the opportunity to see me from their homes or quiet workspaces on breaks.

Payments can be made by Bank transfer in advance of the session or cash on the day

Once you have decided you would like an appointment with me, I will ask if you can make daytime appointment or if you would require evenings. Once we have agreed on a convenient time, I can then book the session in.

Feel free to call me on 07846477726 to book a session

I am more than happy for you to call for a free brief consultation to see how you feel working with me.

I have experience in working with Pornography addiction.