Relationship Counselling & Psychotherapy in Richmond upon Thames
Vernon Stokoe
MSc, BA (Hons), PsyDip
Working with couples is at the centre of my practice, as I see the romantic relationships we form in life as being central to our emotional wellbeing, sense of connection, and overall experience of life.
Alongside relationship counselling, I also work with ambitious professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurial individuals navigating the pressures of fast-moving modern lives, questions around meaning and direction, spiritual crisis, and periods of emotional transition, including heartbreak and the ending of relationships.
My private practice is conveniently located in Richmond, South West London, just a short walk from Richmond Station. I offer flexible appointment times, including late evening and weekend sessions, making it easier for couples to attend therapy alongside work, family life, and other commitments.
I Help Couples With
- communication difficulties
- recurring conflict
- emotional distance
- intimacy and connection
- trust issues
- affairs and infidelity
- rebuilding closeness
I Help Individuals With
- career and business pressure
- ambition and emotional wellbeing
- meaning and direction
- feeling stuck or disconnected
- self-understanding and growth
- spiritual crisis
- relationship endings and heartbreak
Get in Touch
If you’re considering relationship counselling or psychotherapy, you’re welcome to get in touch.
Abount Vernon
Having completed my Master’s degree in Psychology in 2016, I went on to further develop my understanding of psychology through focusing on interpersonal relationship dynamics, meaning and value in relation to spiritual understanding, and matters of the heart and heartbreak.
My work also developed around therapy in relation to ambitious, creative, and entrepreneurial lives, particularly around the psychological balance required to sustain demanding and fast-moving ways of living.
Alongside my psychotherapy training, I studied hypnosis and hypnotherapy out of a desire to deepen my understanding of the psyche and human behaviour. I would describe my approach as largely person-centred, whilst leaning heavily into relational psychology, attachment theory, and the Jungian process of individuation.
Fees
Individual Therapy
60 minute session • £100
Relationship Therapy
90 minute session • £150
Location
The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms
36 Paradise Road
Richmond upon Thames
TW9 1SE
Phone: 07833 505 040
Email: vernon@citypsychologist.com
Why do I feel stuck in life?
- Burnout
- Overthinking
- Low motivation
- Life transitions
- Loss of direction
- Emotional exhaustion
- Self-esteem
- Feeling disconnected
- Stress and anxiety
- Personal growth
Feeling stuck can sometimes reflect emotional exhaustion, burnout, unresolved experiences, or a gradual disconnection from yourself and your direction in life.
Psychotherapy can help people better understand what is keeping them stuck and support meaningful emotional and personal change.
Why do we keep hurting each other?
Even loving relationships can involve moments of hurt, misunderstanding, frustration, or emotional distance. Being close to another person means we inevitably affect each other emotionally, especially during stress, conflict, or periods of disconnection.
Many couples begin to struggle not because there is no love, but because difficult emotions, unmet needs, or recurring communication patterns slowly build over time. Without emotional repair, even small moments of hurt can begin to create distance within a relationship.
Relationship counselling can help couples better understand each other emotionally, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of responding to conflict, emotional needs, and vulnerability.
Why does my partner seem emotionally distant?
Some people appear calm, quiet, or emotionally contained on the outside while internally feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or emotionally exhausted. Emotional distance within relationships is not always about a lack of love or care.
Many people struggle to express emotional needs directly, particularly during stress, conflict, or periods of disconnection. Over time, this can create misunderstandings, emotional loneliness, and difficulty feeling truly seen or understood within a relationship.
Relationship counselling can help couples better understand emotional withdrawal, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of expressing vulnerability, emotional needs, and connection.
Why can’t I feel my emotions?
Many people learn to hide their feelings in order to cope, avoid conflict, or protect themselves emotionally. Over time, suppressing emotions can become so automatic that a person no longer fully recognises how much they are carrying internally.
This can lead to emotional numbness, disconnection, anxiety, exhaustion, or difficulty feeling understood in relationships. Some people appear calm or highly functional on the outside while quietly struggling beneath the surface.
Psychotherapy can help people reconnect with emotions that may have been ignored or pushed aside for years, creating greater self-awareness, emotional clarity, and a stronger sense of connection to themselves and others.
Why do I struggle to speak up in relationships?
Some people appear calm, quiet, or emotionally contained on the outside while internally feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or emotionally exhausted. Emotional distance within relationships is not always about a lack of love or care.
Many people struggle to express emotional needs directly, particularly during stress, conflict, or periods of disconnection. Over time, this can create misunderstandings, emotional loneliness, and difficulty feeling truly seen or understood within a relationship.
Relationship counselling can help couples better understand emotional withdrawal, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of expressing vulnerability, emotional needs, and connection.
