Relationship Issues
Relationship Therapy can help with cultivating and maintaining emotional connection, communication difficulties, infidelity, fighting or growing apart, differences in libido or sexual preferences, and changes in relationship structure.
I have no professional preference or hierarchy of relationship structures, such as favouring marriage or monogamy. I will work with you and whatever you partnerships you aspire to have.
When to Seek Help
How does it work?
Typically, we start with one or two individual sessions with each person in the relationship. Then, you will attend together and work through issues as a partnership.
Often, in a long term relationship or marriage, there can be a tendency towards enmeshment, sometimes called “co-dependency”, where the differences are smoothed over. Typically, at least one person feels they have had to compromise hugely and are not really able to be themselves. This can stifle self-expression and lead to resentment. Relationship counselling allows you to be separate individuals, with unique differences, who are in a relationship together.
What to Expect From Therapy
Although it can be uncomfortable to open up about your intimate situation to someone you don’t know, most people find it surprisingly comfortable after a few sessions.
It’s worth mentioning that my aim is to help each person improve their relationship skills and gain sufficient emotional clarity to decide what sort of relationship they want to have and with whom. I am deeply committed to supporting you in your process but I have no vested interest in keeping people together – or separating them.
Additional Resources
If you’re frustrated that your partner won’t come to therapy with you, you may want to read part 1 and part 2 of this article. If you feel your relationship is at an end, this article can help you.