How can therapy help my relationships?

Relationships are notoriously tricky to navigate. We don’t always seem to speak the same language as our partners, family or boss, or perhaps they are simply translating what we say with a different dictionary to the one we’ve been using!

At times we all need a place to reflect and question what is happening in our most intimate and close relationships, and therapy provides the perfect platform to do this. Therapy creates a non judgemental environment in which to take an honest look at how your interactions with another person are affecting your well-being, or their’s. The safe space that I provide enables you to process your experiences without being judged or advised, and to work out what steps are needed to make ‘big’ changes or simply to find a balance once again. It can feel hugely validating to share how ‘unseen’ you feel, or how ‘under-valued’ or ‘unloved’ you have felt over a period of years. It is not my role as your therapist to encourage you in a certain direction but to accompany you on your journey of exploration and understanding.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can quickly and effectively help you to acknowledge and release trapped emotions that sit around your feelings for another person. These feelings will on a subconscious level be impacting how you interact with that individual. Once you understand consciously what you are holding emotionally, and where that comes from, you are freed from its control and you can choose more productive ways of communicating or different ways of behaving / courses of action.

Hypnotherapy can be very beneficial in helping you to establish healthier patterns of behaviour as well as managing the stress and anxiety of impoverished or damaging relationships.

Counselling  is a traditional talking therapy and provides a space in which to explore your thoughts and feelings. It can be beneficial as a couple to share your feelings in a safe and neutral environment. Relationship therapy, or couples therapy, where both parties attend sessions together is designed to promote effective communication within the relationship, in the hope to strengthen the connection, and alleviate suffering. When challenges or stressors in life are left unaddressed they can undermine a relationship and force it off course. Couples who are experiencing difficulties within their relationship often need a safe and supportive space in which to verbally explore these aspects of their lives.

As your therapist I may initially suggest that you attend individually to acquaint you with the therapeutic process, and to build your confidence and trust in me. This time alone will help you to clarify your own feelings and understanding of the situation prior to any open explorations with your partner. It also enables me as a therapist to ascertain if difficulties in a marriage are in part due to self-esteem issues or individual historic abuse.

It is important for me to establish the willingness of each party to support the other through the process of therapy, regardless of the outcome, before agreeing to work with you both.

Examples of issues that couples might bring to therapy are; infidelity, sexual intimacy issues, differences in parenting approaches, chronic illness, work pressures and financial issues, and different philosophies on life or religious beliefs; this list is not exhaustive and any issue that effects an individual can also impact a partnership.

If you still feel uncertain about taking that initial step, please call me and let me put your mind at ease. I have a really restful and private room which I work from and I can be very flexible in my approach to your therapy. Sessions outside of usual working hours can be made available, including some Saturday sessions as required. A full online service is also available.