What is Imago relationship therapy?
Imago relationship therapy is a way of working with couples. Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt began it in 1980.
Imago is Latin for image. It means the picture of love you formed as a child.
Imago holds that you pick a partner who repeats your early carers' gaps. A row about the washing up can then carry the weight of something much older.
Sources: Hendrix & Hunt 2026, Imago Relationships: overview
How it works
The work runs through the Imago Dialogue. One of you sends and the other receives. The steps are mirroring, validating and empathising.
- Mirror The listener repeats what they heard and checks they understood.
- Validate They explain how their partner's view makes sense, without needing to agree.
- Empathise They name the feelings their partner might have and check their understanding.
- Swap roles The listener becomes the speaker. Each partner has a turn.
A therapist guides the exchange. These are parts of a conversation, not a promise of agreement.
The structure slows the talk down. Each of you hears the other out before you answer.
Sources: Imago UK: FAQs, Imago International: toolbox
What sessions look like
Sessions run longer than most, at 90 minutes to two hours. You face each other, not the therapist.
The therapist coaches the dialogue from the side. They help each of you stay with the steps when the talk gets hard.
Source: Imago UK: FAQs
Who it may suit
Imago relationship therapy can be a good fit if you:
- Talk over each other and neither of you feels heard
- Notice that your rows echo something from your own childhood
- Want a set way to talk that you can use at home
- Prefer to face your partner rather than the therapist
If one of you is afraid of the other, couples work is not the right start. Our couples page explains why, and where to begin instead.
The evidence
The evidence here is thinner than for some couples methods. A 2026 review found one randomised trial. Imago Relationships International helped pay for it.
Its authors report gains that counted in the figures but not in daily life. One couple in the treated group recovered.
The same review places Imago in its weak support tier. That sits one step below the seven models it calls modestly supported. NICE does not name it.
Sources: Jackson et al. 2026, Gehlert et al. 2017, NICE NG222
Training and what to ask
Imago UK says its certified therapists already hold a counselling or psychotherapy qualification. Ask which register they are on. The register tells you about their core training and who they answer to.
To compare methods, emotionally focused therapy works on the emotional bond. The Gottman method starts with an assessment.
Source: Imago UK: find a therapist
Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment.
Looking for an Imago therapist?
We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit.
- We talk over each other and neither of us feels heard
- I want to try Imago therapy
- Our fights feel like old wounds from childhood
- A therapist mentioned the Imago dialogue and I am not sure what it is
References
- Hendrix, H. & Hunt, H. L. (2026). What is Imago?. harvilleandhelen.com
- Imago Relationships Worldwide (2026). About Imago. imagorelationships.org
- Imago UK (2026). Frequently asked questions. imagouk.co.uk
- Imago UK (2026). Find a therapist. imagouk.co.uk
- Imago International Training Institute (2019). Toolbox: Segments 1 and 2. imagolearning.com (PDF)
- Gehlert, N. C., Schmidt, C. D., Giegerich, V. & Luquet, W. (2017). Randomized controlled trial of Imago relationship therapy: Exploring statistical and clinical significance. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy. doi:10.1080/15332691.2016.1253518
- Jackson, J. B., Codecá, L., Miller, R. B., Simpson, J. E., O'Leary, A. M. & Renner, S. M. (2026). Empirically supported couple therapy models for couple relationship distress: A replication and update. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. doi:10.1111/jmft.70162
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022). Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222). nice.org.uk
