Are you finding it difficult to stay close and connected in your relationship?
Do you suspect your difficulties trace back to dysfunction or trauma in your family of origin?
Are you motivated for change but your partner is not interested in coming to couple therapy?
Do you miss the old days when you and your partner were in love?
We all know intimate relationships take a lot of effort. Like cars, they require regular maintenance to keep them running well. But when there are problems many of us struggle to know how to handle them. Often, we begin our relationships with the skills to handle minor issues and misunderstandings ourselves, but as time goes on, these issues can build up and become more serious rifts. We find ourselves fighting more often or more harshly and our closeness and sense of emotional safety erodes.
Not unlike the bond between mother and child, our intimate relationships have a lot to do with attachment; if we begin to lose that primal sense of connectedness one or both partners can exhibit what we call “protest behaviors”; basically a way to say, “I need you!” And these protest behaviors can look loud, immature, or unproductive. But in a basic biological sense, our partner is an important part of our survival; knowing that one person has our back and will keep us safe.
Sometimes couples make the decision to seek professional therapy, but research indicates that the average couple is unhappy for SIX YEARS before seeking couples counseling. At Lifestance Health we know sometimes things have become pretty bad when couples seek counseling. We understand how crucial intimate relationships are to our happiness and well-being, but also how challenging maintaining closeness can be. Drawing on the latest research in the field of couples counseling, we will teach you skills that are proven to promote intimacy, as well showing you the specific behaviors that predict breakup. If you are motivated to strengthen and improve your relationship through therapy, you can expect more happiness with your partner as well as better ways to resolve your differences.
We will begin by taking a comprehensive history of your relationship as well as some exploring your family-of-origin dynamics, your values and your cultural background. We will then assist you in identifying the issues that will be the focus of treatment, establish treatment goals and plan a structure for improvement. We will help you gain insight into the dynamics that are contributing to the problem, while helping both partners understand each of their roles in the interactions. Sometimes we will assign you homework to apply the skills you have learned in therapy to your day-to-day interactions.
Don’t continue to feel that your relationship is sliding off course
Our team of licensed therapists is ready to help get your relationship back on track today. We accept many insurance plans and offer evening and weekend appointments for your convenience. Contact us to make an appointment.
