Couples Therapy in Madrid (in English)
Problems in our relationships keep us in a state of constant vulnerability and alertness. Creating a safe space to express our needs and resolve conflict with our partner is a challenge many people face.
We will work towards healthy, constructive communication, with the aim of reconnecting with ourselves and with our attachment figures. We will improve wellbeing and quality of life by resolving conflict and strengthening the emotional bond.
Do you need EMDR? Read about EMDR therapy.
When to come to couples therapy
You don't have to be on the brink of breaking up to ask for help. Couples therapy is useful when arguments keep repeating without resolution, when emotional distance appears, when trust has been broken, or when you feel you no longer understand each other the way you used to. It also helps during times of change (moving in together, children, a crisis) or when one of you starts to have doubts about the relationship. Coming early, when the difficulty first appears, usually makes the work much easier.
What we work on
- ✓ Communication: moving past blame and learning to express needs without hurting each other.
- ✓ Recurring conflict: understanding the pattern that repeats and breaking it.
- ✓ Trust and infidelity: rebuilding the bond when it has been damaged.
- ✓ Emotional distance and sexuality: recovering closeness and desire.
- ✓ Emotional dependency and attachment: more balanced and secure relationships.
- ✓ Difficult decisions: support also when a separation is being considered.
What the sessions are like
In the first sessions we listen to both of you to understand what brings you here and how your relationship works. From there we work with concrete goals, alternating between joint sessions and, when helpful, an individual session. Most couples come together, but you can also start even if, at first, only one of you is fully convinced. It is a neutral, non-judgemental and confidential space.
My approach: attachment, communication and relational trauma
I am Alejandro Cabeza, Health Psychologist (licence M-37719) with a Master's in Family and Couples Therapy. I work from an integrative approach centred on attachment and communication: how we learned to bond shapes how we relate today. When painful experiences or trauma lie behind the conflict, I incorporate EMDR therapy to reduce their charge so they stop conditioning the relationship.
In person in Madrid and online
I offer couples therapy both in person and online, with the same effectiveness, so that distance or schedules are not an obstacle.
Frequently asked questions
Can we come if one of us isn't convinced?
Yes. It's very common for one partner to have more doubts at first. You can start anyway and, often, the experience itself helps both of you get involved.
How many sessions are usually needed?
It depends on each couple and what you bring. After the first assessment sessions I give you a realistic idea of the process.