City Sanctuary Therapy - Dr. Joyline Gozho
Counselling, Psychotherapy, CBT and Couples Therapy in London Bridge, City of London,
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, and Online
Relationship Enrichment
Workshops
Workshop 1 - Fostering Healthy Communication in Intimate Relationships
Communication is the foundation of any successful intimate relationship, yet it can be one of the most challenging aspects of a relationship. A relationship thrives if both partners can communicate in an open, honest, respectful, and consistent manner, where there is access into each other's lives and emotional landscape.
Recurrent communication breakdowns, barriers, misunderstandings, or a lack of communication erodes the vitality of the relationship, leaving partners feeling emotionally distant from each other. Healthy communication habits better equip partners to resolve conflict more effectively and grow from it.
Whether you are newlyweds, long-time partners, married, unmarried, starting a new relationship, or somewhere in between, the ability to effectively express thoughts, feelings, and needs is crucial for building intimacy, trust, and understanding.
This workshop is for those who are experiencing communication challenges in their relationship, and those who are seeking to strengthen their communication repertoire, and enrich their relationship.
In this workshop, we will explore various techniques and strategies designed to enhance your communication skills. We will discuss the common barriers couples face, learn how to listen actively, and practice expressing ourselves in ways that promote connection rather than conflict.
The workshop will provide you with practical tools that you can apply in your everyday interactions, helping you to not only communicate better but to deepen the bond you share.
The workshop itself is a combination of psychoeducation and interactive reflective group exercises. Case Vignetters will be used in small groups exercises, as well as individual exercises where participants can drawing on their personal experience.
The workshop comes with a free carefully curated E-Book entitled "The Couples Guide to Healthy Communication". This book is a toolkit packed with strategies, tips, techniques on fostering healthy communication, and psycho education on how our past experiences in childhood, and previous relationships can lead to reactivity and some problematic habits which undermines healthy communication.
Participants should leave the workshop with clear knowledge of:
- Enhanced Communication Skills: Learn about the communication techniques, including active listening, expressing feelings, expressing needs, and foster understanding.
- Ways to Identifying Barriers: Develop the ability to identify common barriers to effective communication, such as assumptions, emotional triggers, and negative patterns that stems from our past.
- Emotional Awareness: An increased ability to explore their emotions and understand how feelings affect communication and relationship dynamics.
- The Intersection between Communication and Conflict Resolution: An understanding of the impact on unhealthy communication habits on the ability to effectively resolve conflict.
- Ways Building Empathy: An understanding of what empathy and emotional validation and its role in healthy communication .
- Ways Strengthening Connection: Learn about the daily habits couples can engage with, which encourage bonding and connection, reinforcing the importance of shared experiences and intimacy.
Workshop Information
Date: 18th January 2025
Time: 10am-2pm
For: Everyone
Platform: Zoom
Cost: £120
Free Communication Toolkit Book Included
Participants can attend as couples ideally, or as individuals.
These workshops are run quarterly in January, April, July, and October
The upcoming workshop date will be published 3 months in advance.
For further information, send an email via the link below.
Book now with PayPal below
Click here for the cancellation policy
Workshop 2 - Managing Conflict in Intimate Relationships and Emotional Literacy
Relationships can be incredibly rewarding, but they also come with their fair share of challenges. Every couple experiences conflict, whether big or small, and how we handle these disagreements can significantly impact the health, vitality, and longevity of our intimate relationships.
Conflict is inevitable in intimate relationships; if we treat conflict as a gift, it can be a source of growth, and not become scary and destructive. Positive conflict resolution leads to growth of the relationship and the couple as individually, while negative conflict resolution leads to the destruction, and damage of the relationship.
In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to understand and express emotions is more important than ever, especially in intimate relationships. Emotional literacy is the skill of recognizing, interpreting, and responding to our own emotions and those of our partners. Being able to interpret ours and other people's emotions is key in resolving conflict. Being able to read our emptions, and other peoples emotions (partners) allows us to develop more empathy, and become less reactive.
Throughout the session, we will explore key concepts of emotional literacy, including identifying feelings, expressing emotions effectively, and practicing empathy. By engaging in interactive exercises and group discussions, you will learn how to navigate emotional landscapes together, strengthen your bond, and cultivate a more harmonious relationship. We will also explore practical tools and strategies to help you navigate and resolve conflicts in a fair, and constructive manner. I aim to empower couples with the tools and knowledge to enhance emotional connections, improve their ability to resolve conflict, and foster a deeper understanding of one another.
Whether you are looking to deepen your connection, resolve conflicts, enhance your emotional intelligence, or simply improve your communication skills, this workshop is designed to provide a supportive and enriching environment for growth.
As a couple's therapist who have worked with my couples who experience real challenges with conflict resolution, my goal is to create a safe and supportive environment where you can learn to resolve conflict effectively, develop a deeper understanding of your emotional life, motivations, understand each other's perspectives, and build a deeper connection.
This workshop is a combination of psychoeducation and interactive reflective group exercises. Case Vignetters will be used in small groups exercises, as well as individual exercises drawing on personal experience This workshop comes with a free specially curated E-book entitled: "A Couples Guide to Healthy Conflict Resolution and Emotional Literacy".
Throughout our time together, we will cover:
- Understanding Conflict: Discuss the nature of conflict and why it arises in relationships, helping you to see it as a natural part of partnership rather than a sign of failure.
- Understanding of the Intersection between Communication and Conflict Resolution: Discuss ways communication translates to a robust ability to resolve conflict
- Understand the Intersection between Emotional Literacy and Conflict Resolution:: Discuss the relationship between the ability to interpret emotions and effective conflict resolution.
- Conflict Resolution Strategies: Awareness of the practical strategies for resolving conflict constructively, focusing on collaboration and compromise rather than confrontation.
- Effective Communication Skills: You will learn techniques to express your feelings and needs clearly and listen actively to your partner, fostering a more open dialogue.
- Building Empathy and Understanding: You will engage in exercises that promote empathy, allowing you to better understand your partner’s viewpoint and emotional responses.
- Creating a Positive Environment: We will explore ways to cultivate a supportive atmosphere in your relationship that encourages healthy discussions and minimizes conflict.
We encourage you to actively participate, share your experiences, and learn from one another.
I invite you to open your hearts and minds as we embark on this journey toward greater emotional awareness and growing in our ability to resolve conflict.
If you have further questions feel free to get in touch, or check out the FAQ section.
Workshop Information
Date: 25th January 2025
Time: 10am- 2pm
For: Everyone
Platform: Zoom
Cost: £120
Free Conflict Resolution Toolkit included
Participants can attend as couples ideally, or as individuals.
These workshops are run quarterly in January, April, July, and October
The upcoming workshop date will be published 3 months in advance.
For further information send an enquiry via the link below.
Click here for the cancellation policy
Workshops on Relationship Enrichment and How they Relate to Mental Health
My practice as an individual and couples therapist has enlightened me to the fact that the health of our relationships with others, is intricately linked to our psychological and mental health and well being overall. Healthy relationships promote our mental wellbeing, and our mental wellbeing is impacted by the quality of relationships that we create around us. We are relational beings and our sense of self, and life meaning is shaped by our relationships with others. Dysfunction in relationships, more so in intimate relationships is a leading cause of poor mental health.
On the other hand divorce and separation is on the high, and this is fundamentally due to couples not taking the time to appraise and enrich their relationship. In this fast paced world, couples tend to deprioritise their intimate connections, only attending to them when they are already poorly. Many couple who attend couples therapy tend to approach therapy at a time that their relationship is already severely damaged. With these workshops the couple can safeguard their relationships by developing ways of communicating healthily, resolve conflict, and develop deeper connections. Just like a car that goes to service each year, your relationship needs that servicing too. Effective communication and effective conflict resolution are the hallmarks of a healthy relationship and one that gives sustenance to the couple. Healthy intimate relationships are a big source of nurturance and validation and they also need to be nurtured
Healthy relationships are fulfilling; ones that make us feel valued, cared for, validated, loved, nurtured enabling us to reciprocate the same. They boost our sense of self, and self-esteem. On the other hand, unhealthy relationships are depleting emotionally, mentally, and physically. They crush our self-esteem, sense of self, and can make us question everything about ourselves. Healthy intimate relationships are a big source of nurturance and validation and they also need to be nurtured.
Most difficulties that people present to therapy with are relational – issues with relationships with themselves - “I hate myself; l am not good enough etc”, -relationships with others- “I feel let down and heartbroken; she rejected me; he took advantage of me; l am angry with him for….”, -or relationships with both the self and others. Therefore, the key to our mental wellbeing rests in the relationships that we create with ourselves, and others, and our ability to continuously appraise them. Emotional literacy sharpens our ability to build healthy relationships with ourselves and our intimate partners.
If you have further questions feel free to get in touch, or check out the FAQ section.
Get in Touch
Please get in touch if you have any questions on Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Couples Therapy, or Relationship Enrichment Workshops, or if you like to book an initial session.
You can also call me on 07960462532 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
It is true that the hustle and bustle of modern day city life leaves some people with little or no time to reflect on themselves. As a result, we find ourselves experiencing stress, low mood, anxiety, poor confidence, low self-esteem, poor sleep, problems with relationships with our loved ones or work colleagues, addictions, at times questioning what life is all about, and genuinely wondering about our purpose in life altogether. The stress of present day life also leads to burn out- cognitive overload, and extreme physical exhaustion. As a result, one adopts unhealthy ways of coping, which have a negative impact on one's mental and psychological well being.
At times, there may be some issues from the past that are unresolved, and affecting different aspects of your life. Therapy offers a reflective space where you can unwind and get to know your self more intimately. It also enables you to find healthier ways of being and relating, emotional processing, find healthier ways of managing any problems you are faced with, work through, and develop the capacity to reflect on yourself which is hugely significant. The decision to start therapy is an important one, albeit, not always easy. Evidence suggests that the key ingredient in any therapeutic encounter is the relationship between the therapist and the client.
It is therefore crucial that you find an experienced therapist, who you can connect with, and walk side by side with; a therapist who offers you a safe space where you feel comfortable, respected, understood, validated, listened to, and safely develop the ability to tune into the deeper parts of yourself. Therapy can therefore help you be in tune with yourself, and live life more meaningfully. I firmly believe that psychological well being should be seen in the same light as physical well being. The stigma around mental health and psychological well being is what perpetuates the unnecessary suffering that most people go through, without seeking help at the right time.
Call me on 07960462532 or email me on info@citysanctuarytherapy.com. You can also call or email me by clicking the email or call link buttons further up the page. If I am unavailable on the phone, please leave me a message with a name and number. I aim to respond to all messages (email, text, and voicemail) within 24 hours.
Yes. I am an adult Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and l work with ages from 18 and above. I also work with couples.
The choice of therapy we decide in our consultation depends on the nature of your difficulties and what brings you to therapy. Our sessions for time limited psychodynamic counselling and CBT will be 6-12. Our open ended psychotherapy will have no set end date from the beginning. It is however important that we work towards an ending when we do decide to end therapy, as this is a very important part of our work. The length of time you spend in therapy depends on the nature of your difficulties and the depth of the work. Most people stay in therapy for a number of years to allow themselves sufficient time to work through some of the deepest conflicts, and issues from their past that may be impacting on the present, therefore addressing the whole self.
It is usual practice to charge the regular session fee for a session cancelled by the client less than 48 hours beforehand. A full fee is applicable to a cancellation made with less than 48 hours notice. Any cancellations made by client with a 4 weeks notice will not be charged, and half the session fee is applicable for any cancellation less than that time frame. This is because the space is reserved for you and therefore open even if you do not attend. You will not be expected to make any payment if I am not available. I will give you my holiday dates well in advance, and I will also appreciate having your holiday dates in advance.
YesI typically raise an invoice at the end of each month, unless you prefer to pay weekly or fortnightly, which can be arranged. Payments can be made via bank transfer, Paypal or in cash. This should be done in a timely manner.
Individual sessions last 50 minutes, and couple's therapy sessions lasts 50-60 minutes. Sessions are once weekly at agreed times. This will be agreed in the initial session. At times, I do offer twice a week or fortnightly sessions, depending on my clients' needs and life demands.
Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy and CBT sessions cost £100/hr for individuals. The rate for couples therapy session is £135/hr. These flat rates are applicable to both London and Buckinghamshire Locations, as well as online. Some insurance clients may have to pay the difference between the insurance rebate and my fee. The fee reflects my experience, qualifications, and specialisms. I am recognised by Axa, Aviva, Cigna, WPA, Healix, and Vitality, as a healthcare provider. If you have insurance through any of these companies, you will be able to use it. Please confirm the validity of your cover first. Sessions are subject to a £10 increase annually, typically at the beginning of each year. This will be discussed with you in session.
CBT is a practical approach which helps you find ways of managing present day distress, while psychodynamic psychotherapy helps us explore and address the source of the distress. Using the metaphor of a house on fire- CBT is akin to putting out the fire flames-cooling and smothering the flames, so that the fire dies down. Psychodynamic work is akin to us figuring out the cause/source of the fire altogether. This is important, otherwise one runs the risk of having yet another fire.
I work with couples, offering couples therapy. However, this needs to be agreed right from the beginning of our work.
Sessions are confidential unless if there are legal implications or in the event of serious risk factors that your GP or other practitioners have to be aware of. As an ethical practitioner, any decision to do so is always in your best interest. I have full indemnity insurance to cover my practice as a therapist. All information kept about you is stored in line with the GDPR laws.
Yes, we can have sessions over Zoom, Skype or Telephone. These sessions are scheduled in the same fashion as face to face sessions.
© Joyline Gozho
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