Couple Therapy: Strengthening Relationships, No Matter Where You Are

Living as an expatriate can place unique stresses on your relationship. Whether you're adjusting to a new culture, facing the challenges of homesickness, or juggling the demands of work and family life abroad, these pressures can affect the way you and your partner connect. But you're not alone—Behavioural Couple Therapy (BCT) can help you both navigate these difficulties and create a stronger, healthier relationship.

I offer both online and face-to-face therapy, so you can receive support no matter where you are in the world. Together, we can work on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and addressing any issues that may be straining your relationship.

What is Behavioural Couple Therapy (BCT)?

Behavioural Couple Therapy (BCT) applies cognitive-behavioural principles to help couples overcome challenges in their relationship. At the heart of BCT is the idea that improving communication can break negative interaction patterns—like the demand-withdraw or attack-withdraw cycles many couples fall into. These patterns often lead to misunderstandings, distance, and frustration. BCT focuses on identifying these unhealthy dynamics and teaching new ways of relating that promote understanding and connection.

How BCT Works

The first step in BCT is a thorough assessment of your relationship, both as a couple and individually. We’ll look at your shared history, exploring how past experiences may be affecting your current difficulties. We’ll also consider external factors, such as family, work, and cultural adjustment, that might be influencing your relationship.

Once we have a clearer picture, we’ll work together to develop effective communication skills. This includes active, respectful listening—ensuring each partner feels heard and understood—as well as collaborative decision-making, where both partners have a voice in the relationship. These skills are essential for addressing deeper issues, such as trust, intimacy, or external stresses like parenting, finances, or adapting to life in a new country.

Is BCT Right for You?

BCT is effective for a range of relationship challenges. It’s often recommended when one or both partners are experiencing mental health difficulties, such as depression, and the relationship has become a source of conflict, distance, or lack of support. BCT can also help couples facing long-term stressors like infidelity, health conditions, or parenting struggles.

As an expat, you might be dealing with additional pressures—whether it's the isolation of being away from familiar support networks, the stress of navigating a new culture, or the strain of balancing work and family abroad. These challenges can easily seep into your relationship, making it harder to communicate or stay connected with your partner. BCT can help you both manage these stresses and strengthen your bond.

Other approaches for Couple work

In some cases, I also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into couple therapy. This model is particularly helpful when difficult emotions or past hurts are preventing open communication. ACT focuses on mindfulness and emotional acceptance, helping each partner move past painful thoughts and feelings that may be fueling conflict or avoidance.

ACT can also be useful if you want to work on your relationship, but your partner is not ready to join the therapy process. Working with just one partner can still lead to meaningful changes in the relationship by helping you better understand your own patterns and how they may be affecting your interactions.

In cases where one or the two members have a great deal of difficult experiences informing how they manage current relational challenges, joint EMDR can also be effective in ‘unblocking’ beliefs -either individual or shared- that get in the way of promoting emotional intimacy.

Moving Forward Together

If you’re feeling disconnected from your partner or struggling with ongoing relationship issues, therapy can offer a fresh perspective and provide the tools you need to rebuild your connection. As an expatriate, it’s especially important to feel grounded and supported in your relationship during times of transition. Whether you choose online or face-to-face sessions, I’m here to help you and your partner navigate these challenges and build a stronger, more fulfilling relationship.

If you’d like to learn more about Behavioural Couple Therapy, ACT or EMDR and how they can support your relationship, I invite you to schedule a brief consultation. This will give us a chance to discuss your situation and explore whether working together is the right fit. Reach out today to start your journey towards a healthier, happier partnership.

About other therapies…