Couples Therapy Manchester

A stylized logo with overlapping shapes, including a triangle and a circle, in light green color.

Relationship therapy for couples who want to understand each other better

Couples therapy can help when communication has broken down, conflict keeps repeating, trust has been damaged, or you simply feel disconnected from each other.

I’m Kathleen O’Connor, a BACP-registered psychotherapist based at Kota Therapy in Manchester. I work with couples in person from Pollard Yard, close to Ancoats and Manchester city centre, as well as online.

You do not need to be on the verge of separation to come to couples therapy. Some couples come because things feel difficult or stuck. Others want help navigating a particular issue, rebuilding trust, improving communication or understanding patterns that keep pulling them into the same arguments.

Therapy can offer a neutral space to slow things down, hear each other differently and understand what is happening beneath the surface.

Couples therapy can help when communication has broken down, conflict keeps repeating, trust has been damaged, or you simply feel disconnected from each other.

BOOK FREE CONSULTATION

What couples therapy can help with

Couples come to therapy for many different reasons. You might be experiencing:

  • recurring arguments that never seem to get resolved

  • emotional distance or a loss of connection

  • difficulties communicating without things escalating

  • trust issues or the impact of infidelity

  • different needs around intimacy, affection or sex

  • resentment that has built up over time

  • pressure from work, parenting, money or family

  • changes following separation, divorce or a major life event

  • uncertainty about whether to stay together

  • the feeling that you love each other but no longer know how to reach each other

Sometimes there is a clear crisis. Sometimes there isn’t. The issue may simply be that you have fallen into patterns that no longer feel good for either of you.

A space where you can be yourself

I’m a Transactional Analysis psychotherapist and a registered member of the BACP. My approach is warm, relational and grounded in the belief that meaningful change is possible.

I work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and identities and aim to offer an affirming, thoughtful space where you can feel safe, seen and heard.

You don’t need to know exactly what you want from therapy before you begin. Sometimes the starting point is simply knowing that something doesn’t feel right, or that you don’t want things to keep feeling the way they do.

let's talk
Supportive psychotherapy

A space where both of you can be heard

Couples therapy can feel daunting, particularly if one of you is more comfortable talking than the other.

My role is to create a space where both of you have room to speak and where neither person is treated as the problem.

We will pay attention to what is happening between you in the room as well as the issues you bring in. This can help you notice patterns as they happen and begin to experiment with different ways of relating to each other.

You do not need to prepare anything before the first session or agree on exactly what the problem is. It is quite common for couples to arrive with different views of what is happening.

Couples therapy for separation and divorce

Couples therapy is not only about repairing a relationship.

Sometimes couples come because they are considering separation or have already decided to separate and want help navigating that process with greater clarity and care.

Therapy can be useful when you are trying to work through difficult decisions, communicate more constructively, understand what happened in the relationship, or manage the emotional impact of a separation.

Where children are involved, having a space to think together can also help reduce conflict and support more thoughtful co-parenting.

let's talk

How I work with couples

My approach is relational and grounded in Transactional Analysis.

Rather than deciding who is right or wrong, I help you look at the dynamic between you: what happens in moments of conflict, what each of you may be protecting, and how earlier experiences can shape the way you respond to each other now.

We may explore patterns such as withdrawing, criticising, becoming defensive, people-pleasing, shutting down or trying to control what happens. Often these responses make sense when we understand where they came from, even when they are no longer helping the relationship.

The aim is not to force you to stay together or to push you towards separation. Therapy can help you understand the relationship more clearly and make more thoughtful decisions about what you both want.

let's talk

Important:
I offer a supportive and confidential space for therapy, however Kota Therapy is not a crisis service. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency or are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services or the Samaritans at www.samaritans.org or call 0116 123 (UK) for 24/7 support.

Close-up of books on a shelf with visible titles such as "Will I Ever Be Good Enough?", "Trauma and Recovery", "TA Today", "Humankind", and "My Name Is Why".
A lit candle in a brown glass jar on a wooden table, next to a plant in a textured pot and a glass of water on a coaster, against a blue background.
Woman in green blouse sitting on a red chair, listening attentively to someone.
A blue ceramic mug and a coffee carafe on a golden tray.
Modern home office with laptop on wooden desk, glasses, phone, golden bottle, blue wall, colorful cushions, and indoor plant.
Woman in green blouse standing by a round mirror, with arms crossed, in a room with a blue and white wall and a plant in the background.
Woman in a green blouse sitting by a desk with a laptop, books, and indoor plants, in a stylish living room with dark blue walls and a sofa with colorful cushions.
White macramé wall hanging against a blue background.
Woman in a green blouse speaking to another person
Close-up of green pothos plant leaves indoors with blurred living room background.
Cozy living room with blue walls, featuring a sofa with colorful pillows, a red armchair, a wooden desk with a laptop, and wall art. A potted plant and macramé wall hanging add decorative touches.
A wooden shelf with a glass carafe containing water and a lemon slice, a row of standing books, and a dark bottle labeled "Revive" atmospheric mist.
Woman with short hair smiling, wearing a green blouse and hoop earrings, standing indoors.
Woman with short brown hair in a green blouse, standing with crossed arms in front of a blue wall, next to a round mirror reflecting her profile.
Close-up of a green pothos plant with variegated leaves, hanging from a shelf indoors with a blurred blue and white background.
A wooden shelf with a glass carafe of water containing lemon slices, a row of various books, and a dark glass bottle labeled "Revive" atmospheric mist.
Blue ceramic mug and glass coffee pot on a gold tray
Bookshelf with a carafe of lemon water and a bottle of Revive aromatic mist
Woman in green blouse with crossed arms near round mirror, blue background
Magazine titled 'Therapy Today' on a table with a gold tray, a glass coffee pot, and a ceramic mug.
Cozy living room with a wooden desk featuring a laptop and glasses, colorful pillows on a blue sofa, a macrame wall hanging, and potted plant in background.