Individual Therapy for Relationships in London
Sometimes the work is one person, and it is often about the relationship context. You might be untangling patterns from past partnerships, trying to make sense of a break up, or living with a dynamic that feels stuck and a partner who is not ready for therapy. Individual therapy with me is a space to understand how you connect, how you protect yourself and what you want. I am Mark Ryan, a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and NCPS Accredited Relationship Therapist, and I see individuals in person at private therapy rooms in Kensington, Pimlico and Angel.
What Is Individual Therapy for Relationships?
It is one to one therapy that keeps the focus on how you relate to other people. We look at the patterns you notice, how you show up in your closest relationships, what you tend to do when you feel hurt or afraid, and what you might want to do differently. The relationship in question might be a romantic one, but it can equally be a friendship, a family tie or a working relationship.
This is therapy that stays close to what matters. Our world is relational, and so is the work. A lot of what we carry into adult relationships was learnt much earlier, and it is easier to see and change with someone alongside you who is curious and honest and not in the middle of the argument.
What Brings People to Individual Therapy
There is no single reason, and you do not need a diagnosis or a crisis to come. People often start for reasons like these.
The same thing keeps happening in your relationships and you want to understand why.
A break up or divorce, and the work of making sense of it.
A current relationship that feels stuck, distant or unsafe to talk about.
A partner who is not ready or willing to try couples therapy.
Uncertainty about what you want, including whether to stay in a relationship or leave it.
Feeling lonely or unseen within a relationship.
Questions about identity, sexuality or relationship structure, including coming out, non monogamy and polyamory.
Wanting to change how you show up, such as how you handle conflict, closeness or being alone.
If any of this sounds like you, that is enough. Often people have simply noticed that something is not working and want to understand it while there is still room to change.
How I Work
I work integratively, drawing on different approaches depending on what is most useful for you. For individuals these include humanistic and person centred therapy, which starts from you as the expert on your own life, existential thinking about meaning, choice and freedom, psychodynamic therapy, which looks at how early experience shapes the present, and Internal Family Systems, which understands us as made up of different parts, each trying to help in its own way.
Sessions feel more like a real conversation than a clinical procedure. They are compassionate, curious and sometimes challenging. I will not tell you what to do, and I will not take a side in your relationships. I will ask questions, reflect back what I hear and sometimes point to something you may not have noticed. The aim is that you leave with a clearer sense of yourself and what you want.
My practice is fully affirming. I work with gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer people, and with people in ethically non monogamous and polyamorous relationships, without any assumption about how your relationships should look.
What to Expect
A free consultation
The first step is a free 30 minute consultation, in person or online. I explain how I work, you tell me what has brought you in and what you are hoping for, and I walk you through the practical side, including booking and costs. It is not a therapy session. It is a chance to see whether working together feels right, with no obligation.
Sessions
Sessions last 50 minutes. I usually recommend a weekly reserved slot, because consistent contact helps the work develop and makes it less likely that you lose momentum. Ad hoc slots are available, but they cannot be guaranteed from week to week. There is no fixed number of sessions, and some people come for a few months while others stay longer. We check in regularly about what is helping, and you are never locked in.
Single session therapy
If what you need is one focused conversation about a decision, a pattern or something you do not know how to start, you might consider single session therapy, a prepared 110 minute session for one question.
Individual Therapy or Couples Therapy?
If your relationship is the thing you want to work on and your partner is willing, couples therapy is usually the more direct route. Individual therapy is the right choice when your partner is not ready, when you want to work on your own patterns first, or when the relationship in question has already ended.
If we begin working individually, I cannot later move into relationship therapy with you and your partner. If you think couples therapy is likely to be what you need, tell me in the consultation and I can help you outline your goals for starting with another therapist, or you could start with couples therapy together.
If your partner is reluctant, what to do when your partner won't go to couples therapy and if you don't want couples therapy may help you think about next steps.
What the Research Says
Research on psychotherapy says something practical about choosing who to work with. A meta analysis of 295 studies covering more than 30,000 people found that a stronger working relationship between client and therapist was linked to better outcomes, whatever the therapist's approach. That research covers adult psychotherapy in general (Flückiger et al., 2018). It means that how comfortable you feel with your therapist is part of how well therapy tends to work, which is why the free consultation comes first. You should feel that I am the right person for you before you commit to anything.
No study can promise what therapy will do for a particular person, and a pattern in your relationships is not something one piece of research can fix. What therapy offers is time, attention and a different way of understanding yourself, with someone alongside you.
When Individual Therapy May Not Be Right
Therapy is not a crisis service. If you are thinking about harming yourself, Samaritans are on 116 123, free and open 24 hours a day, NHS 111 can help with urgent mental health needs, and in an emergency you should call 999. If I think specialist support would suit you better than the work I offer, I will tell you and help you find it.
If you are afraid of a partner, please speak to a specialist service first. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is on 0808 2000 247 and is free and open 24 hours a day. Men's Advice Line is on 0808 8010 327, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Galop supports LGBTQ+ people on 0800 999 5428, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, and open until 8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Where I Work
I see individuals in person at three private therapy rooms in central London.
Kensington
Pimlico
Angel, Islington
Availability differs by room. If your preferred day, time or location is not free, you can join a waiting list and you will have first refusal when a slot opens. Ongoing sessions are in person, because being in the same room helps the work land. The free consultation can be online, and if you need an occasional online session because of travel or illness, we can talk about it case by case.
Fees and Booking
Individual sessions last 50 minutes and cost £80 on a weekly reserved slot or £90 for ad hoc bookings. The free 30 minute consultation comes before you commit to anything. If cost is a genuine barrier, get in touch and we can talk about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work on a relationship problem on my own?
Yes. If your partner is not ready, or you want to understand your own part and patterns first, individual sessions are an option. We focus on the patterns you notice, how you show up and what you might want to do differently. We cannot move into couples work together later, but I can help you outline what you would want from a couples therapist.
Do I need to be in a relationship?
No. People also come to understand past relationships, to make sense of a break up, or to change patterns before starting a new one. The focus is how you relate, and that does not depend on having a partner right now.
Will you tell me whether to stay or leave?
No. I will not steer you towards either outcome. My job is to help you hear yourself clearly and make a choice that is yours. No one is obliged to stay in a relationship that is hurting them, and no one has to leave before they are ready.
How long does individual therapy take?
There is no fixed answer. It depends on what you are working with and what you hope for. Some people see real shifts in a handful of sessions and others work for longer. We check in regularly, and you are never locked in.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ people and people in non monogamous relationships?
Yes. My practice is fully affirming and I work with gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer people, and people in ethically non monogamous and polyamorous relationships.
Is what I say confidential?
Everything you discuss in sessions is confidential. The exceptions are a serious risk of harm to someone, reasonable grounds to believe a child is at risk, or where the law requires disclosure.
Can I have sessions online?
Ongoing sessions are in person from one of the three London rooms. I offer the free consultation online, and single session therapy is also available online to people anywhere in the UK. If you need an occasional online session because of travel or illness, we can talk about it case by case. I do not work with clients outside the UK.
About Mark Ryan
I am a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist (MBACP Accred.) and an NCPS Accredited Relationship Therapist, with certificates in Relationship Therapy and in CNM and ENM. My BACP membership number is 405397 and my NCPS number is NCPS495. Read more about me
Related Reading
Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316 to 340. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172