Certificate in Working with Couples *NEW*


About the Course

‘We all share a fundamental need for security which propels us toward committed relationships’ but ‘we have an equally strong need for adventure and excitement’. (Perel, 2007)

 

This exciting six-day, three-weekend certificate course is aimed at those who want to start working with couples as well as those looking to enhance, refresh or expand their existing couples therapy practice. It’s developed and led by Sarah Demaree and Paul McManus, who have been married for over 25 years and run a practice together in central London.

There are many different methods of working with couples; in this course, which will have a strongly practical orientation, we will focus on Transactional Analysis (TA) and well-known TA-adjacent approaches, eg Imago Relationship Therapy, Bader Pearson Developmental Model, etc. It will cover everything from the initial intake and contracting to negotiating endings. 

  • Who is it for?

    Applicants must have completed 100 hours of supervised counselling practice or 100 supervised hours in a similar field, eg coaching, organisational etc (this need not be with couples).

  • Qualification and Accreditation

    Assessment (to be submitted by February 2026)


    • Participate in role-playing experiential learning with course leaders and participants

    • Submit a log of learning hours, including reading, clinical hours, and course hours.

    • Submit a transcript of a 10-minute couple’s tape plus front sheet and 500-word summary of the work, using TA and/or adjacent theories.

    • Complete a minimum of 20 clinical hours working with couples, either during or after the training.


    Accreditation  

    On successful completion of the course, you will receive The Berne Institute ‘Certificate in Working Therapeutically with Couples’. This course can be counted as 36 hours of CPD or as 36 hours Advanced TA Psychotherapy Training.


  • Course Content

    Topics will include:


    Working with Betrayal 

    Working with Neurodiverse Couples 

    Working with Sexual Issues

    Working with Parenting Issues

    Working with High Conflict Couples


    Participants will have the opportunity to take part in experiential learning with the course leaders and fellow participants. By the end of the course, we hope you will come away with the confidence and enthusiasm to start working effectively with couples.


  • Eligibility and Entry

    Applicants for the course must have completed 100 hours of supervised counselling practice or 100 supervised hours in a similar field, eg coaching, organisational, etc. (This need not be with couples.)

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Summary

Course Cost

Fee

£750 for Berne Institute Trainees

£780 for non-Berne Trainees

Course Date

Dates

5th - 6th April 2025

26th - 27th April 2025

17th - 18th May 2025

Online

10am to 5pm with breaks


Tutors

Sarah Demaree PTSTA(P)

Paul McManus PGDip TA

Sarah is a UKCP and UKATA registered psychotherapist, supervisor and teacher whose areas of interest include couples, neurodiversity, neuroscience, and new research looking at the role of nutrition in mental health.

Paul is a neurodivergent (ND) UKCP and ITAA registered psychotherapist with a specialist practice working with ND couples and individuals.


Our Core Philosophy

At The Berne Institute we recognise that people come into TA training with widely differing experiences of clinical practice, theoretical knowledge and formal academic learning, and that they differ widely also in their current personal resources and skills. Our courses therefore honour the uniqueness of each individual’s learning and experience and their different learning styles, pace and areas of competence.

The philosophy and practice of Homonomy that respects our mutuality and interconnectedness has been recently integrated into the Berne Institute philosophy. The aim is to expand the focus in our theory and practice from individual change to include a focus on the wider implications of our work on the whole community and our planet. 


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