How to Talk to Your Partner About Sex: Asking for What You Want
Talking about sex with your partner can feel daunting, but research shows it's one of the most powerful things couples can do. Relationship therapist Mark Ryan explains how to start the conversation.
When Your Sex Drives Don't Match: Understanding Desire Discrepancy in Relationships
Mismatched libidos affect up to 80% of couples at some point. Relationship therapist Mark Ryan explains what desire discrepancy really means, why it happens, and how couples therapy can help.
Is Our Sex Life Normal? Understanding Sexual Desire and Intimacy in Relationships
Many couples carry a quiet anxiety about their sex life — wondering if what they have is "normal," but never quite finding the words to ask. This article explores why there is no universal benchmark for sexual desire, how the erotic and companionship dimensions of a relationship work differently, and what it means when desire shifts over time. An honest, shame-free introduction to one of the most important — and least spoken about — areas of relationship life.
Repair After a Fight: A Step-by-Step Guide to Rebuilding Safety and Trust
Conflict is inevitable in close relationships — but disconnection doesn’t have to be. This practical, step-by-step guide explores how couples can repair after a fight, rebuild emotional safety, and restore trust through intentional communication and empathy. Learn why repair matters more than being right, and how therapy can provide powerful tools to break negative cycles and strengthen long-term connection.
Surviving Christmas Without Falling Out: How Couples Can Navigate Conflict During the Holidays
Christmas can place unexpected strain on even the strongest relationships. Heightened expectations, family pressures, and emotional fatigue often mean conflict feels closer to the surface. This article explores why tensions rise at this time of year, how couples can navigate disagreements more gently, and when relationship therapy might help.
When One Partner Withdraws: Understanding Stonewalling and Emotional Shutdowns
A thoughtful look at what’s really happening when a partner shuts down, and how couples can move from disconnection to deeper understanding and repair.
The Four Communication Styles That Harm Relationships — and How to Change Them
We all want to feel heard, understood, and safe in our relationships — yet the way we communicate often gets in the way of that connection. Over time, small habits like criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and withdrawal can quietly erode trust and closeness. In this article, I explore the four communication styles that harm relationships — and how to replace them with empathy, respect, and emotional safety. Real change begins not with perfect words, but with the intention to truly understand one another.
Why doesn’t my partner listen to me?
In conflict, most couples don’t hear each other accurately—words get filtered through stress, assumptions, and past hurts. Here’s why it happens, what you can do, and how therapy can help.
Modern Love, Many Forms: How Relationships Are Evolving in a Polyamorous and Monogamous World
The way we build and sustain relationships is changing — and that’s a good thing. From the history of marriage as a tool of property and control, to today’s growing conversations about polyamory, consensual non-monogamy, and redefining commitment, people are finding new ways to love and connect. But evolving relationships also bring new questions: What do we want from our partnerships? How do we navigate jealousy, boundaries, or societal expectations?
In this article, we explore how relationship models have shifted over time, why people are embracing more diverse ways of loving, and how therapy can support you in finding what feels right for you — whether that’s monogamy, polyamory, or something in between.
Blame in Relationships: Why We Do It, How It Hurts, and What Therapy Can Offer
Blame can erode connection. Discover why it happens and how therapy can help couples reconnect.
Why Is It So Difficult to Talk About Sex and Desire in Relationships? And How Therapy Can Help
Talking about sex and desire in a relationship can feel awkward, even with the person you love most. Shame, fear of rejection, and silence often get in the way. As a couples therapist in London, I help partners open up, reconnect, and explore intimacy with honesty and care—because your desires matter, and so does your connection.