In this short video, I explain how one person working alone can shift what happens between two.
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Online couples therapy alone is for one partner who wants their relationship to change. Perhaps your partner will not take part, or you would rather begin on your own. We meet by video, in English, in 1-hour sessions at a time that suits your time zone, and we keep the relationship at the centre of the work.
You look at the pattern between the two of you, the part you play in it and what you actually want. It is a branch of online couples therapy. If you would like to work with EFT on your own, EFT online couples therapy alone is the closer fit.
You can ask for a free 30-minute call, book a session, read my client policy or write to me.
Online couples therapy alone is for one partner, anywhere in the world, who wants to work on the relationship. Your partner will not join, or you want to begin on your own. You want to understand the pattern, your part in it and what you want.
Online couples therapy alone suits steady relationship work on your own. If one of these fits you 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 for it, as if they have arrived with half a relationship. I see it differently. A couple is a pattern, and a pattern can be changed from either side. Underneath, many of the people I meet are asking ‘Why won’t you meet me halfway?’, while their partner at home is asking ‘Why can I never get it right?’. When you understand your part in that, you can move differently, and very often the other person begins to move too.”
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.
Priya has been married to Sam for nine years, and they live in Melbourne. Whenever she raises something that bothers her, Sam says she is making a fuss and leaves the room. She follows him, the argument grows and they stop speaking for days. He will not try therapy.
In our online sessions, Priya starts to see the loop: the harder she presses, the further he retreats. She practises saying one thing calmly, once, and then letting it rest. A few weeks later, Sam brings the topic up himself. It is a small change, and the first in a long time.
I have presented this clinical example as a compound of 22 years of clinical practice.
You cannot make your partner change. You can change how you move in the dance.
Many people believe nothing can shift unless both partners are in the room. In practice, when one person starts to respond differently, the whole pattern has to adjust.
That is why online couples therapy alone can be a real beginning, not a second-best.
Perhaps you have asked many times, and your partner says therapy is not for them, or not now.
You do not have to wait. We start with what you can influence, and leave the door open for your partner to join later.
You reach for closeness, ask for a talk, send one more message, and the distance only grows. It is exhausting, and it can make you feel desperate.
We look at what drives the chase and what happens when you try a different move.
Some people go quiet to avoid trouble. Over time, the silence turns into loneliness and quiet resentment.
We work on finding your voice again, in a way your partner can hear.
The way your parents fought, made up or kept their distance can echo in how you react now.
We look at where your reactions come from, so you are no longer run by them.
You may be unsure whether to stay, to push for change or to step back. You want clarity before you act.
Our sessions give you a calm place to think it through without pressure.
Sometimes you simply need somewhere private to untangle your own feelings before you bring your partner into it.
That room is what these sessions are for.
If this sounds like you, request a call or book a session, and we will start with what weighs on you most.
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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Understanding your part is a good start. Trying a new move at home is where things change.
In online couples therapy alone, I help you see the pattern between you, notice your own first reaction and try a different one. Every session ends with something small and concrete to test at home.
We go through a recent difficult moment in slow motion: what happened, what you felt, what you did and what came next. Most people see their own part more clearly within a few sessions.
Often, yes. A relationship works like a system. When one person stops chasing, or stops withdrawing, the other has to find a new response.
Yes. We practise saying one clear thing, calmly and once, and then letting it land. That is very different from repeating it until it becomes a row.
If you are always the one who gives way, we look at what you are afraid would happen if you did not, and try small steps in another direction.
We separate what you want from what you fear and from what you feel you should want. Decisions get easier once those three are no longer tangled.
Often fewer arguments, more calm in yourself and, quite often, a partner who starts to respond differently, sometimes enough to want to join you.
You can also send me an email
You do not need to explain it all neatly. We start with what is happening for you now.
In our first sessions I listen to your account of the relationship, ask about your history and help you put words to what keeps going wrong.
If another kind of help would suit you better, I will say so.
You join for one hour by video. I ask about your relationship, what repeats and what you hope for. Before we finish, we agree on a focus for the next sessions.
Online psychotherapy looks at your life more widely. Online couples therapy alone keeps your relationship at the centre. If something bigger comes up, such as trauma or long-standing anxiety, psychotherapy may be the better next step.
Yes, if you both want that. We would talk first about how to bring your partner in fairly, so they do not feel you have already made a case against them. Then we can move to online couples therapy.
Usually once a week or every other week at first, then less often as things settle.
If you expect to meet regularly, a bundle gives you a plan and a lower price per session. The bundle cards further down show the options.
You react less on autopilot, you can say what you need and the atmosphere at home has eased. Then we decide together whether to stop, pause or continue.
Not sure this is your page? These are the closest options.
| Option | Choose it when | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Online couples therapy alone (this page) | You want to work on the relationship on your own. | 1-hour sessions, weekly at first |
| Online couples therapy | Your partner is willing to join. | 2-hour sessions every two to three weeks |
| EFT online couples therapy alone | You want to use EFT on your own. | 1-hour sessions |
| Online psychotherapy | Your own life, not mainly the relationship, is the focus. | 1-hour sessions |
It is couples work with one partner, by video and in English. We keep the relationship at the centre and look at your part in the pattern, your reactions and what you want. Sessions are one hour long, for people anywhere in the world.
No. Taking care of yourself and your relationship is not a betrayal. I never ask you to criticise your partner behind their back, and the aim is a better relationship for both of you.
No. I take your experience seriously, and I will also help you see your own part. Hearing only your side would not help you change anything.
Yes. Many people come while they are unsure. We look at what you want and what holds you back, without pushing you either way. If the decision is already made, online divorce therapy may help.
That is your choice. Some people tell their partner straight away, others wait. We can think together about if, when and how to tell them.
For most people, yes. You join from a quiet, private place where you will not be overheard. Many people find it easier to speak freely from home.
It varies. Some people find a lot changes in a handful of sessions; others want steady support for longer. We review regularly.
Then we start where it hurts most. If something has just happened, such as an affair coming out, acute online couples therapy alone is built for that.
Sessions alone are one hour long. You can see current fees, in US dollars, on my prices page, and a therapy bundle saves you 10 per cent.
Book a session directly, or ask for a free 30-minute call first. The calendar shows times in your own time zone. If none of them suit you, write to me.
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!
