GRAPHIC NOVEL"This is an original, creative way of unpicking relationship problems - worth revisiting again and again for more insights."
Bel Mooney, Columnist, Daily Mail
Anthony and Andrea aren't getting on. It's five weeks away from their marriage and Andrea has caught her fiance cheating on the internet, with an older woman! Share this couple's journey with their counsellor and become a fly on the wall as they journey into their most private and unknown places. Much more than a comic strip, the graphic novel Couple Therapy: Dramas of Love and Sex takes you into the hidden world of the Relate counselling room, and lets you into the private worlds of three fictional couples as they struggle to improve their relationships and their sex lives.
Relate counsellor Barbara Bloomfield discusses each case with renowned family therapist, Prof. Rudi Dallos, as they share thoughts, theories and active techniques that will help each couple to understand what's gone wrong and how to make changes for the better.
WITH A FOREWORD BY RUTH SUTHERLAND, CEO OF RELATE
"Couple Therapy is a very innovative book exploring the private worlds of two fictional couples (plus one family) going through RELATE counselling. It is comic strip type graphic novel which highlights relationship issues in an exciting, easy and highly readable way. A 'must' read for anybody experiencing problems in a relationship."
Cary L Cooper, CBE, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University, UK, and President of Relate
"This wonderfully creative book provides a unique insight into the Relate counselling room. It is written with clarity and integrity and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Relate counselling."
Jenny Porter, Supervisor, Relate Cymru, and Tutor at The Relate Institute, UK
"This graphic novel explores some of the problems we all face in our relationships and beautifully describes what goes on in the counselling room to solve them. I love the real feeling of being in the room that the cartoons convey and then the 'what's going on in the counsellor's head' commentary adds depth, followed by some excellent supervision of the work at the end of each chapter. There's no 'dumbing down' and the book gives real insights into the couple and family counselling process. Marvellous!"
Gwilym Roberts, Chief Executive Relate Cymru, UK
"This beautifully illustrated graphic novel provides an informative and accessible guide to systemic-oriented couple therapy, with accompanying comments and thoughts helping the reader to understand the way the couple feels and the therapist works with their problems. The book can be recommended to anyone who wants to get an idea of what happens in couple therapy."
Dr Andreas Vossler, Director of the Foundation Degree in Counselling, The Open University, UK
"Full of the drama and humanity of couple therapy, Barbara Bloomfield's thoughtful holding, interventions and reflections match the vivid characters illustrated by Chris Radley in this energetic graphic narrative that showreels fictionalised episodes from inside the confidential couple therapy room. Entertaining, reflective, moving and educational, this is a riveting read."
Claire Williamson, Programme Leader, MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, Metanoia Institute, UK
Barbara Bloomfield is a Couples and Family Counsellor and Supervisor with Relate. She is also a former newspaper journalist, BBC radio reporter, producer and an author of several books including
The Relate Guide to Finding Love.
Chris Radley provides all the illustrations in this book. He is a freelance creative consultant working principally with over-seas development and UK social needs charities, undertaking a wide range of assignments from political cartooning to charity fundraising.
