Professional Diploma in Couples & Relationship Therapy: CPD Training for Counsellors

Couples counselling and relationship therapy present distinct clinical challenges. Working with two people simultaneously, navigating competing narratives, holding therapeutic alliance with both partners, and facilitating productive dialogue around intimacy, conflict, and rupture are skills that require specific training. ICPS College's Professional Diploma in Couples and Relationship Therapy equips counsellors and psychotherapists with the theoretical grounding and practical frameworks needed to work effectively with couples.

Delivered live online over ten weeks, this course draws on leading models in couples therapy and relational practice to support practitioners in expanding their clinical competence.

What the Course Covers

Ten modules explore:

• Attachment theory and relational systems in couples work

• Communication patterns: Gottman's Four Horsemen and evidence-informed intervention

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples: core principles and application

• Conflict resolution, negotiation, and rupture-repair processes

• Sexuality, intimacy, and therapeutic conversations about the sexual relationship

• Working with infidelity, betrayal, and trust repair

• Domestic violence and coercive control: safety assessment and therapeutic boundaries

• LGBTQ+ relationships and inclusive practice

• Separation, divorce, and co-parenting support

• Family systems and multi-generational patterns in relationship difficulty

Who Is This Course For?

• Counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to extend their practice to include couples work

• Practitioners already seeing couples who wish to formalise their training

• Family therapists, marriage counsellors, and relationship educators

• Healthcare professionals who encounter relationship difficulties in clinical contexts

Delivery Format and Duration

Delivered live online via Zoom over ten weeks, with one session per week. Teaching is in real time, with supplementary reading and reflective tasks between sessions. On successful completion, participants receive 60 CPD credits.

Accreditation and CPD Credits

Accredited by the Professional Development Consortium and the CPD Standards Office, this course provides a Professional Diploma in Couples and Relationship Therapy and 60 CPD credits on completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience in couples work?

No prior couples work experience is required. The course is designed for counsellors who wish to develop competence in this area from a solid theoretical and clinical foundation.

Is LGBTQ+ practice addressed?

Yes. Working with LGBTQ+ couples and families, including inclusive therapeutic practice, is addressed as an integral component of the curriculum rather than an add-on.

Does the course cover domestic violence?

Yes. The course addresses domestic violence and coercive control, including safety assessment protocols, therapeutic boundaries, and the ethical complexities of working with couples where there is a risk of harm.

Enrol in the Professional Diploma in Couples and Relationship Therapy

View full course details and enrolment information on the Professional Diploma in Couples and Relationship Therapy course page. You may also be interested in the Professional Diploma in Group Therapy & Facilitation, Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology, and Professional Diploma in Anger & Emotional Regulation. For enquiries, visit the ICPS College contact page.