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Day 2 of the 3-part training series: Developing Your Skills as a Couples Therapist
Live Training
Developing Skillful Interventions
with Karen Murphy
Friday, 9 October 2026
9.30 am – 1.00 pm (Irish Time)
Live and Recorded
3.5 CPD Hours
€99
Also available as part of the full 3-day bundle: €269 (click here for more information)
€99.00Add to basket
Intervening in Ways That Deepen the Work
In couples therapy, the questions we ask — and the moments we choose to speak — can shape the whole direction of the session.
When a couple is caught in familiar conflict, it can be tempting to ask more questions, gather more detail, or try to help them find a solution too quickly. But skilful intervention is not about saying more. It is about knowing what kind of intervention is needed, when to offer it, and how to keep the focus on the relationship process rather than becoming absorbed in the facts of the argument.
This half-day training focuses on developing more thoughtful, grounded interventions in couples therapy. You will explore how to ask questions that open reflection rather than close it down, how to move from facts to meaning, and how to use observations, reflections, and statements to support deeper clinical work.
This training is designed for therapists already working with couples who want to strengthen their ability to intervene with clarity, sensitivity, and confidence.
What This Training Will Help You Develop
By the end of this training, you will have a clearer understanding of how to intervene in a way that deepens reflection and keeps both partners engaged.
- what makes a question useful in couples therapy
- the difference between questions that open and questions that close
- how to move from facts to meaning
- how to ask questions without taking sides
- how to keep the focus relational
- how to avoid leading questions and disguised advice
- knowing when not to ask another question
- using statements, observations, and reflections as well as questions
Why Skilful Interventions Matter
Couples often come into therapy wanting the therapist to help them solve the problem. They may look to the therapist to decide who is right, explain who is wrong, or give them a clear answer about what to do.
But couples therapy asks something different of us.
Rather than moving too quickly into advice or solutions, the therapist is often helping the couple slow down enough to understand what is happening between them. The intervention is not simply there to gather information. It is there to support awareness, deepen reflection, and bring the relationship process into view.
A skilful intervention can help a couple hear something differently. It can shift the focus from accusation to vulnerability, from content to process, or from fixed positions to curiosity.
Who It's For
This training is suitable for therapists who are already working with couples. It is designed both for experienced practitioners who are interested in working with couples in a more process-oriented, relational way; or graduates of the Institute of Couples Therapy
The programme assumes participants already have some experience of working therapeutically with couples and focuses on developing clinical skill rather than introducing the foundations of couples therapy.
Available to Watch Live and/or Recorded*
*(All sessions will be recorded, and participants will have access to the recording for 60 days following the programme.)
3.5 CPD hours by the Institute of Couples Therapy
€99.00Add to basket
”We do not use the lens of good/bad or right/wrong in how we’re considering relationships.
Karen Murphy
Karen Murphy
Karen founded the Institute of Couples Therapy driven by her passion and commitment to this field. She dedicates herself to finding the most effective and relational ways to help couples find routes out of their difficulties. She has over a decades experience as a psychotherapist and is also an accredited supervisor.
Day 2 of 3
Developing Skillful Interventions
9th October 2026
9.30 am – 1.00 pm (Irish Time)
Individual training: €99
Full 3-day bundle: €269 (Add all 3 trainings to your basket for the discount to apply)
ICT Community members: 10% discount on all bookings (please use the code being shared in the Community)
Developing Your Skills as a Couples Therapist
The full pathway is designed to help therapists develop their couples therapy skills in a clear clinical progression.
Day 1: Working with Process in the Room
First, learn to see what is happening between the couple.
Day 2: Developing Skilful Interventions
Then, learn how to intervene in ways that deepen reflection and keep both partners engaged.
Day 3: Understanding and Working with Defences
Finally, learn how to work with the defences that emerge when the process becomes challenging.
You can book this training individually, or attend all three days as a full skills development pathway for a deeper learning experience.
Can I book Day 2 on its own?
Yes. Each training day can be booked individually, so you can attend Working with Process in the Room on its own without booking the full 3-day series.
Do I need to attend all three days?
No, you do not need to attend all three days. However, the three trainings are designed as a pathway, moving from process, to interventions, to defences. Attending all three will give you a deeper and more integrated learning experience.
Is this training suitable for beginners?
This training is designed for therapists who already have some experience of working with couples or who have completed the ICT Certificate in Relationship Therapy. It is not an introductory couples therapy training, but a skills development session for therapists who want to deepen their practice.
Is this training only about asking better questions?
No. While questions are an important part of the training, this session also looks at when not to ask another question. You will explore how observations, reflections, and thoughtful statements can sometimes be more useful than continuing to question the couple.
How is this different from learning couples therapy techniques?
This training is less about learning a set of techniques and more about developing clinical judgement. The focus is on understanding what kind of intervention is needed in the moment, how to keep the focus relational, and how to intervene without taking over the couple’s process.
Will I receive a CPD certificate?
Yes. A 3.5-hour CPD certificate will be issued for this training.
Will the session be recorded?
Yes. The training will be recorded, and participants will have access to the recording for 60 days following the programme.
Can I book the full 3-day pathway instead?
Yes. You can book this day individually for €99, or book the full 3-day pathway for €269. ICT Community members receive 10% off all bookings.
CPD Accreditation
This training qualifies for 3.5 CPD hours and is awarded by the Institute of Couples Therapy.
Want to Explore More?
Check out our Couples Therapy CPD Hub for more live and recorded training options.
Ready to Develop Your Skills as a Couples Therapist?
If you are already working with couples and want to feel more confident recognising what is happening between partners in real time, this training offers a focused space to develop that skill.
You can attend this session on its own, or join the full 3-day pathway for a deeper development of your work with process, interventions, and defences.
€99.00Add to basket
