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Certificate in Working with Couples and Relationships

Run over six Fridays, we will look at different types of loving and relating to understand better how we can function and flourish with a partner or partners in life.

Comparison of different formats of relationship will also help us understand more heteronormative functioning and how people negotiate to live authentic and fulfilling lives, enhanced through relationship.

We will think about different ways of expressing sexuality, identity and our uniqueness, facilitated by partnerships. We’ll differentiate between script-induced relating compared to an individuation and expansive process. This will include looking at healthy and unhealthy symbioses as well as Jung’s idea that the more we can learn and experience through difference in our loving, the more we individually grow and move towards autonomy.

Course outline

Days 1 and 2

The first two days will focus on theory, format, clinical framework and examples of working with people in relationship. As well as couples this covers individual work, polyamorous relationships, kink-aware relationships and other vehicles for loving and partnering, taking an intersectional viewpoint and learning from different communities including different gender identities. Theoretical schools looked at will include Transactional Analysis, Gestalt, Jungian, specific ‘couples’ models and Integrative theories.

Days 3 and 4

The third and fourth day will focus on practice as well as more clinical application of theory. Participants will work in small groups which involve observation and working with different constellations and theories. Actors will be used for roleplaying clients and students can experiment with different modes of working in a safe and supportive environment. It’s an opportunity to experiment with different modes of working in a safe and supportive environment.

Days 5 and 6

The fifth and sixth days will focus more on working with sex, psychosexual issues and one’s sexuality, as well as an individual’s sexual relationship with themselves.

Watch Jonathan as he describes the course in more detail.

“Great course that covers a huge amount of material very efficiently with a knowledgeable and experienced trainer. It’s certainly given me the information and skills to develop my practice.” Course Participant 2026

“This course was an enriching experience that expanded my perspective on working with couples and individual clients. Jonathan combines extensive knowledge with creativity and openness, making complex therapeutic processes accessible and inspiring. The integration of theory, practice, and experiential learning made the training immediately applicable to my clinical work.” Mirna, Course Participant 2026

“I recently completed Jonathan Lake’s Couples and Relationship Counselling training and can honestly say it was one of the most valuable and enjoyable learning experiences I’ve had. Jonathan created a warm, supportive, and engaging environment where I felt comfortable to learn, reflect, and develop my confidence in working with couples and relationships. The training was incredibly informative, with a great balance of theory, practical skills, and real-world application. Jonathan’s knowledge, experience, and passion for his work really shone through, and his teaching style encouraged curiosity, reflection, and growth. I came away not only with a much deeper understanding of couples counselling, but also feeling inspired and excited to develop this area of my practice further. I would wholeheartedly recommend this training to any counsellor considering working with couples and relationships.” Paula, Course Participant 2026

“I really enjoyed the course. Jonathan was a great tutor. Thorough, patient and considerate. The course content was what I would have expected from a couples and relationships course and was centred around TA theory and person-centred. Quite a few of us were nervous about the role play exercise in week 4, but it was honestly OK and a great learning experience.” Sarah, Course Participant 2026

“I started training feeling completely daunted by the prospect of working with couples and left feeling both capable and excited about doing this work. Thank you.” Course Participant 2025

“The relationship and couples course with Jonathan was fantastic. Jonathan brings a depth of knowledge alongside clarity, warmth and clinical sensitivity. The course was well-structured, accessible and rich in practical insight, allowing complex relational dynamics to be explored in a grounded and meaningful way. I found it hugely beneficial to my development as a trainee therapist and would highly recommend it.” Sahil, Course Participant 2025

“I found it hugely beneficial to my development as a trainee therapist and would highly recommend it.” Course Participant 2025

Course Delivery: Live online on Zoom. (Sessions will not be recorded)

Pre-Course Requirements: Participants should be qualified counsellors or psychotherapists or in training and seeing clients, not necessarily couples/relationships. (Students in training should talk through their planned attendance with their supervisor or course tutor).

There is no pre-course work required.

Recognition: A Link Centre Certificate in Working with Couples and Relationships will be presented.

Assessment: The certificate is gained through attendance. To earn your certificate, we ask that participants actively engage in breakout sessions and keep their camera on during the course, unless there is a prior agreement not to do so.

We are committed to supporting diverse learning needs and providing reasonable adjustments to ensure that everyone can access and participate in our programme. If you have any additional learning needs, please let us know so we can discuss how best to support you.

Maximum number of participants: 30

Tutor: Jonathan Lake STA, PTSTA, CTA, TA Psych M.Sc, Psychology B.Sc

Visit Jonathan’s website to read more about his training and testimonials Jonathan Lake, Therapist

Jonathan has worked with polyamorous groups since 2005 and has been the clinical supervisor for London Friend and other LGBTQI+ groups.

He completed his original training in couples’ therapy in 2003 and has been providing relationship training to psychotherapists since 2016.

Jonathan has worked as a psychotherapist since 1999 and delivers clinical training at different psychotherapy institutes in London and Brighton. He also provides support as a Critical Incident Responder for events such as terrorist attacks, death in service and more recently supporting families in Israel and Palestine as well as running onsite groups in LA for people who have lost their homes in the recent fires.

Jonathan loves teaching and hopes to do so in an engaging and informed way, to bring out our own wisdom from within through experiential exercises as well as more formal delivery of theory and best clinical practices.

He particularly aims to offer courses and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in subjects that can be overlooked in M.Sc and core trainings in institutes, such as onsite work, trauma-focused therapy, critical incident response, food and therapy, neurodivergence, intersectionality and relationships including polyamory, kink and differing sexual and personal identities.

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