COUNSELLING FOR RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
I help individuals with relationship issues with family members, romantic partners, and friends. Sometimes, relationship issues present as a struggle with one or two key relationships in our lives, such as a relationship with a parent. Other times, relationship issues take the form of recurring patterns in all of our relationships. For example: always taking the role of the caregiver or having difficulty saying no in all of our relationships. Perhaps the stress of managing a difficult relationship feels like its taking over your life. The inability to communicate with your partner or resolve conflict might be preventing you from connecting on a deeper level, or the constant pressure to please others and meet their needs has left you feeling burnt out and exhausted. Relationship issues can take many forms and show up in many ways in our lives. Some examples include:
trouble expressing emotions
difficulty saying no or setting boundaries
feeling detached or unable to experience a deep connection with others
overwhelming feelings of guilt
difficulty with communication or expressing yourself
a constant fear that others may be upset with you
the belief that you should always be able to meet others’ needs
difficulty building trust or maintaining committed relationships
a fear of being abandoned by others
withdrawing, shutting down, or lashing out during conflict
constant pressure to please or take care of others
You may find yourself thinking things such as:
I want to be able to say “no” more often but I just can’t bring myself to do it.
I’m continually taking care of others. I’m burnt out and exhausted.
I feel guilty all of the time and I don’t know why.
I can’t express how I’m feeling to my partner.
I really want to have a better relationship with my parents but I don’t know how.
Whatever form your relationship issue is taking, the chances are that it’s getting in the way of living the kind of life that you want to live. In counselling we will explore tools for communication, resolving conflict, and having difficult conversations. We will also explore past relationships and unresolved issues which might be getting in the way of developing healthy relationships. Together, we will discover new relational patterns, which may allow you to have more meaningful and connected relationships, while also managing difficult relationships, setting boundaries and creating space for your own needs.