training

David Slattery

In private practice since 1988

Online therapy, supervision and training

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Couples therapy training and CPD

training and CPD

Centre for Relational

Couples Therapy

Supporting therapeutic work with couples

Training / Supervision / CPD 2025-26

Overview

‘Learning to work with couples’

This 12 day (60 hour CPD) experiential training is for those who are qualified in individual counselling/psychotherapy (or in the submission stage of psychotherapy) and want to expand their practice by learning how to work with couples.

‘Advanced practice’

A 5 day (25 hours CPD) course for those who have completed ‘Learning to work with couples’ or have considerable training and/or experience (over 100 supervised hours). ‘Supervision groups’ Online Fridays (am or pm) and in-room Saturdays (all day) These groups will meet for four days (in-room on Saturdays) or four afternoons or mornings (online on Fridays) over the year and are designed for those who are currently working with couples.This is an opportunity to speak about the processes that occur between you and the couples you work with, and to learn from those of others.

Course detail / dates / how to apply

‘Learning to work with couples’ at Barrow Castle

This 12 day course integrates experiential learning, reading and discussion, practise and supervision. The course is divided into two sections:

Part 1: Learning about couples. Firstly we begin by exploring the relational-system that is a couple relationship and use role-plays to practise ‘sitting-with’ a couple.We will explore the basics of couples therapy: including ‘initial meetings’;‘conscious and unconscious shapes couples make’; ‘why do people couple?’; ‘ways of holding a couple’; ‘exploring your own coupling experience’. Skills sessions will take place in the afternoon of each course day.

Dates: Friday 7 / Saturday 8; Friday 21 / Saturday 22 November and Friday 5 / Saturday 6 December 2025.

Ordinarily you will start seeing couples sometime around December/January (although this is not a course requirement and there is deliberate flexibility to allow for individual process). Help and guidance is given on the course about how to start up.

Part 2: Working with Couples. This part of the course is primarily concerned with practice, so showing your work and hearing about that of colleagues is a key part of the day.We will revisit some of the themes from the beginning of the course, now in the context of actually working with couples and there will be sessions on: ‘working with couples over time’ and ‘identifying and working with relational trauma states’. Supervision sessions will take place in the afternoon of each course day.

Dates: Friday 27 / Saturday 28 February, Friday 13 / Saturday 14 and Friday 27 / Saturday 28 March 2026

‘Advanced Practice’

Online CPD for couples therapists. This 5 day course is for those who have completed at least 100 hours of couples work (see application form for details) and want some further input into their practice in a group of experienced therapists.The course will be ‘bespoke’ in the sense that we will pay attention to the areas of practice that a particular group are interested in.

Dates: Friday 25 April Friday 2/Saturday 3 and Friday 16/Saturday 17 May 2025

‘Supervision groups’

Online and in-person These groups will meet four times a year and are designed for those who are currently working with couples.This is an opportunity to speak about the processes that occur between you and the couples you work with, and to learn from those of others. There is a choice between three different groups: morning and afternoons on Fridays (online) or Saturdays all day (in-person, Stroud, Gloucestershire). Dates: TBC (next group cycle is Sept 2025-July 2026 email me to register interest)

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For full details including booking forms, download the pdf