Relationship advice & insights.
I'm Mark Ryan, a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and NCPS Accredited Relationship Therapist working with relationships, couples, individuals, and polycules across London. This is where I write about the things that come up most often in the therapy room; jealousy, coming out to a partner, separation, sex and intimacy, and the ordinary arguments that usually aren't about what they first appear to be about.
Some of what's here is written for couples working through something together. Some of it is for one person trying to make sense of their own experience before bringing a partner into it. All of it is grounded in research and real clinical practice, not generic advice dressed up as insight.
Browse the archive.
Search by keyword, or filter by topic, to find the article you're looking for or browse the newest articles blelow.
- Attachment 10
- Communication and conflict 20
- Couples therapy London 111
- Emotional Abuse 4
- Individual therapy London 2
- Infidelity & Betrayal 7
- Jealousy 3
- LGBTQIA Therapy 20
- Labels 4
- Mental Health and Wellbeing 20
- Money and Relationships 3
- Neurodiversity and Relationships 6
- Non-Monogamy and Open Relationships 9
- Parenting 9
- Relationship therapy London 109
- Seasonal 5
- Separation and Divorce 14
- Sex and Intimacy 14
- Single Session Therapy 3
- Summer 4
- Trust and Repair 9
Why Desire Fades in Long Term Relationships and What Helps
Desire often fades in long relationships, and it rarely means love has gone. This article explores why, and what helps closeness return.
Why Couples Struggle When the Kids Go Back to School
Why September can feel harder on a relationship than the summer holidays were, and what the sudden quiet reveals.
Telling My Partner I'm Trans
Working out how and when to tell your partner you're trans. A London couples therapist on timing, handling their reaction, and what helps early on.
My Partner Is Transitioning: What It Means for Your Relationship
Your partner has come out as trans. A London couples therapist on what changes, what the grief means, and how to work out if you're still compatible.
Lesbian Bed Death Isn't Real, and Here's Why
Research doesn't support the lesbian bed death myth. A London relationship therapist on what's going on in couples experiencing declining sexual frequency.
Lesbian Couples Therapy and What to Expect
A London relationship therapist on lesbian couples therapy, what tends to show up in the room, and why your problems aren't automatically about being lesbian.
Mixed-Orientation Relationships and How Couples Stay Together
A London relationship therapist on mixed-orientation relationships after a partner comes out, what tends to change, and why staying together isn't settling.
Bisexual Erasure in Relationships and Why It Happens
A London relationship therapist on bisexual erasure in relationships, how it shows up differently for men and women, and what making real space looks like.
Am I Bisexual? What It Means and What Happens Next
A London relationship therapist on working out whether you're bisexual, what the research says, and what it means if this comes up inside a relationship.
Coming Out to Your Partner
A London relationship therapist on coming out to your partner, what tends to happen next, and why it doesn't automatically mean the relationship is over.
Am I Heteroflexible? Questioning Your Straightness and What It Means for Your Relationship
A London relationship therapist on what heteroflexible means, how common it is, and how partners can talk about it with openness and care.
Is My Partner Gay? My Partner Is Questioning Their Sexuality
A London relationship therapist unpacks what it can feel like for the partner of someone questioning their sexuality, what it does and doesn't mean, why the silence happens, and what helps.
Am I Gay? Questioning Your Sexuality While in a Relationship
A London relationship therapist on noticing same-sex attraction while partnered, what it might mean, why you don't need an answer yet, and how therapy can help.
Gay Open Relationships: A Therapist’s View
A London relationship therapist on non-monogamy in gay male couples: the different agreement types, where they tend to break down, and what helps.
Can a Trial Separation Save a Relationship? The Case For and Against
Weighing up a trial separation? A London couples therapist sets out the genuine case for and against, what the research actually shows, and how therapy can help either way.
How to Know When a Relationship Is Over
Wondering if your relationship is over? A London couples therapist looks at what’s really being weighed when this question won’t go away, and what can help.
How much does couples therapy cost in London?
A London relationship therapist on what couples therapy costs, what affects the fee, weekly versus ad hoc sessions, and how to judge value.
When to Go to Couples Therapy: Signs You Shouldn't Wait
Wondering whether your relationship needs therapy? Mark Ryan, a London relationship therapist, explains the research-backed signs it's time to seek help, and why most couples wait too long.
Gay Couples Therapy in London: Finding the Right Support for Your Relationship
Looking for gay couples therapy in London? Relationship therapist Mark Ryan explores the real challenges gay couples face, what to look for in an affirming therapist, and how therapy can genuinely help.
After Betrayal: How Couples Can Heal from Infidelity and Rebuild Trust
If your relationship has been rocked by infidelity, you need honest guidance. A BACP Accredited London therapist on what recovery actually involves.