We calculate the wavefunction and the energy eigenvalues of two non-re
lativistic interacting particles in an external field with spherical s
ymmetry. The techniques used and the formalism developed are suitable
for all problems of this kind. We give explicit formulae for the matri
xelements. As an example we discuss the case of a light charged fermio
n-antifermion pair in the Coulomb field of a heavy nucleus, assuming a
confining potential between the fermions.