Rethinking Couples Therapy: Imago Therapy as a Relational Paradigm

CPD courses for psychologists in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Master Imago Therapy's relational approach to couples. See the relationship as the client and build stronger connections.

About this course in the United Kingdom

Treating the relationship as the client changes clinical attention, the role of the therapist and the meaning of couple distress, and this course explores each of these through Imago Relationship Therapy. UK practitioners will see, through teaching and clinical video examples, how structured relational processes such as the Imago Dialogue build safety and regulate emotional intensity between partners. The course frames reactivity and resistance as adaptive, protective responses and positions the therapist as a facilitator of relational process rather than an expert problem-solver. It can be logged as a learning activity in an HCPC CPD record.

This talk introduces a fundamental shift in how couples therapy is understood and practiced. Rather than focusing on individuals as the primary unit of care, this approach positions the relationship itself as the client. Participants will explore how this shift transforms clinical attention, the therapist’s role, and the meaning of couple distress.

Grounded in Imago Relationship Therapy and informed by an integrative, relational perspective, the talk emphasizes practical, moment-to-moment application in the therapy room. Through teaching, reflection, and clinical video examples, participants will learn how structured relational processes, particularly the Imago Dialogue, create safety, regulate emotional intensity, and support meaningful connection between partners.

The talk highlights three core shifts: from working inside individuals to working between partners, from expert problem-solver to facilitator of relational experience, and from viewing reactivity as pathology to understanding it as adaptive and protective. Participants will leave with a clearer framework for navigating complex couple dynamics with greater confidence, clarity, and clinical effectiveness.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:

Deepening Change in Imago Relationship Therapy
Structure as a Pathway to Connection: The Imago Dialogue as Relational Practice
Part 2: Imago Relationship Therapy: Practical application of core Imago skills.
Relational Ethics: Beyond Autonomy
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Also available for: South Africa · Australia · United States