In this short video, I explain how one partner working alone, over a few concentrated days, can change the way a whole relationship moves.
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Back-to-back online couples therapy alone is for one partner who wants focused work on the relationship, gathered into a few days instead of spread across months. You join by video from wherever you are, and the sessions last an hour each.
It suits you when your partner will not take part, or when your work and travel leave no room for a regular appointment. It combines online couples therapy alone with the concentrated format of back-to-back online couples therapy.
You can ask for a free 30-minute call, book a session, read my client policy or write to me.
Back-to-back online couples therapy alone is for one partner who wants focused work on the relationship, grouped into a few days. It helps when your partner will not take part, or when your life has no room for a regular appointment.
Focused work alone is not right for everyone. If one of these fits better, follow its link.
You can also send me an email
These reviews describe clients’ experiences of working with me. They come from my wider practice and do not all relate to online sessions. Each person’s experience is their own, and a review does not promise a particular outcome.
“When someone comes to me alone, they often apologise that their partner is not there. There is no need. One person who changes their own moves can change a great deal, and when sessions are close together, that change takes hold faster. Underneath, many people on their own are asking ‘How do I get you to come closer?’, while their absent partner may be asking ‘How do I get some room to breathe?’. Some people find both questions in themselves. A few focused days give us time to untangle that.”
Mark Colclough, MA, psychotherapist and EFT couples therapist
I am Mark Colclough, MA. I have practised since 2004 and offer online psychotherapy and couples therapy in English.
My training brings together your emotions, your thoughts and your relationships. My deep passion is the moment when what happens between you finally makes sense, to each of you and to each other. I have lived and worked in nine countries, so I know something of life across languages, cultures and borders.
Read about my background, or explore online psychotherapy and online couples therapy.
I meet regularly with experienced psychotherapists to reflect on my work, question my understanding and develop my skills. Supervision is part of the professional care I bring to individual and couples work, including online sessions.
My focus is thoughtful practice, integrity and responsibility.
You are welcome to ask about the kind of support you need.
Tell me where you are based and your time zone. We can then consider whether online sessions together are suitable.
Sophie is a nurse in Sydney, working rotating shifts. Her husband says therapy is ‘for people with real problems’ and will not take part. Each time she comes off nights, they argue about the house, and she ends up sleeping in the spare room.
She books four sessions over three days in her week off. We map the pattern of coming off shift, feeling unseen and snapping. Between sessions, she tries one small change each day, starting with telling him she is exhausted before the argument begins. By the end of the week, they have their first calm evening in months.
I have presented this clinical example as a compound of 22 years of clinical practice.
You are the one willing to do the work. You want it to count.
Back-to-back online couples therapy alone is not second best. When you change how you respond, the dance between you has to change too. Grouping the sessions into a few days means that change can build quickly, before old habits close over it again.
You bring the relationship as you experience it. Together we look at what happens between you and your partner, and what you can do differently.
Perhaps your partner thinks therapy is pointless, feels blamed by the idea or simply refuses. Waiting for them to agree can take years.
You can start now. Many people find their partner softens once they notice something has changed at home.
Rotations, night shifts, long flights and changing schedules make a weekly hour unrealistic for many people.
A block can be fitted into the days you do have free, whatever your time zone.
Many people who contact me live abroad, often far from family and friends. When the relationship struggles, there may be nobody nearby to talk to.
A focused block gives you steady support for a few days, wherever you are.
Some patterns hurt again and again: the same argument about money, the same silence after a visit to the in-laws, the same feeling of not being chosen.
Several sessions close together let us follow that pattern from start to finish until you can see how it works.
You may long for closeness and then feel trapped when it comes. Or you may push for contact and then pull back, hurt, when your partner does not respond as you hoped.
We look at both moves calmly, so you can choose your response instead of being pulled by it.
Sometimes the real question is whether you want to stay. That deserves calm thinking time, not snatched hours between other commitments.
A block gives you room to hear yourself clearly, without anyone pushing you either way.
If this sounds like you, request a call or book a session, and we will plan your back-to-back online couples therapy alone around your days.
You can also send me an email
Tell me briefly what kind of support you are looking for.
Include your country and time zone so we can discuss whether online work together is possible and find a suitable time.
You do not need to explain your whole story in your first message.
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When sessions follow each other closely, insight turns into practice before it fades.
The first hours look at what happens between you and your partner, seen from your side. The middle hours turn to what you feel and need in those moments. The last ones are about what you will do differently once the block is over.
We agree one clear aim before we start, along with the number of sessions and where the pauses fall. That keeps the block focused and manageable.
Yes. It is easier to see your own moves when the last conversation was yesterday, not three weeks ago. Seeing them is not about blame. It is about finding where you have room to act.
Yes. You can practise a different reply in a session, use it at home that evening and come back the next day to look at what happened.
Often, yes. Many people swing between giving in and pushing away. We look for a steadier position, where you can say what you need without shutting your partner out.
A few days of focused work can help you sort out what you feel, what you need and what you can live with. I do not steer you towards staying or leaving.
Yes, very often. A relationship is a system, and when one person moves, the others have to adjust. I help you plan small, realistic changes and notice how your partner responds to them.
You can also send me an email
Close together does not mean crammed. I plan breaks and keep the pace humane.
Back-to-back online couples therapy alone starts with a short call. We agree what you want to work on, how many hours make sense and which days work for you. Then I plan the block with you.
Two 1-hour sessions can sit on the same day, with a proper break between them. This works well when you have a single free day.
One or two sessions on several days in a row give you an evening to reflect each time, without losing the thread.
Three or four sessions within one week leave room for daily life and for trying things at home in between.
Weekend times can sometimes be arranged, depending on what I have free. Ask when you write to me.
Insight needs time to settle, even in back-to-back online couples therapy alone. I watch how you are doing and slow down or add breaks if needed.
We agree what comes next. That might be a few follow-up sessions, regular online couples therapy alone or a move into online couples therapy if your partner decides to join.
Not sure this is the right format? Here are the closest alternatives.
| Option | Choose it when | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Back-to-back online couples therapy alone (this page) | You want focused work on your own, grouped into a few days. | Several 1-hour sessions close together |
| Online couples therapy alone | You prefer a regular rhythm on your own. | 1-hour sessions every one to three weeks |
| Back-to-back online couples therapy | Your partner is willing to join. | Several 2-hour sessions close together |
| Acute online couples therapy alone | Something has just happened and you need help now. | A first session as soon as I can offer one |
It is a short block of 1-hour online sessions for one partner, booked close together, focused on your relationship. You join by video, in English, from anywhere. It suits you when your partner will not take part or when regular appointments do not fit your life.
Yes. Two sessions can be held on one day, with a real break in between.
Yes. Successive days keep the work moving and give you an evening to think between sessions.
Yes. A few sessions across one week give continuity with a little more breathing room.
Sometimes, depending on my availability. Mention it when you write to me.
Yes. In back-to-back online couples therapy alone, the focus is the relationship, not only you as an individual. We look at the pattern between you and your partner, and at what you can change in it.
That depends on what you want to achieve. We agree a number before you start and look at it again as we go.
It should not be. Sessions are an hour each, with breaks between, and I adjust the pace to you.
Each session is a 1-hour online session on your own. Current fees, in US dollars, are on my prices page, and a therapy bundle saves you 10 per cent.
Ask for a free 30-minute call or write to me. Tell me briefly what is happening, which days might work and which time zone you are in, and we will agree a plan before you book.
You can also send me an email
I want therapy to help you understand your experience and make choices you can use in everyday life. We pay attention to feelings, needs and the responses that happen before you have time to think.
Our online room should offer enough trust and honesty to explore what is difficult. I bring attention and professional judgement. You bring your experience, questions and the right to say when something does not fit.
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P.S. I’ll call you in a bit!
