Relationships Counselling

Relationships need continuous care and attention for them to survive over time.

Taking things for granted is often named as the source of issues in relationships. This is not specific to romantic relationships, it happens in any type of relationships (employer - employee, friends, family,...).

When we take things for granted, we stop enquiring, our interest goes down and our communication erodes, sometimes to the point of disappearing all together.

The other important element to consider is that as individuals, we evolve and mature over time, based on our life experience. The person we are at 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old is different and has different wants and needs.

Combining both our constant process of change and people taking things for granted, generates the perfect conditions to see a decline in the quality of a relationship.

Relationship counselling aims to re-establish communication between people so that interest in partners is re-ignited. This in turn helps partners re-connect and see themselves as people with individual wants and needs. Once this has been achieved, a way forward can be found for the relationship.

Many people view counselling as a form of mediation. My role is not to take party or judge. I am there to facilitate a process with all my knowledge and experience around people, the psychology of people and relationships. I will offer the resources available to me, to support the work that needs to be done.

This also means that there is no guaranteed outcome to the process. Sometimes partners will work together towards an outcome where the relationship continues but with a different dynamic. Other times, the gap between partners will be too large to bridge and they will work together towards the ending of the relationship.

Relationship counselling can also be a safe place to explore different avenues for relationships, such as exploring different sexual paths, desires or even opening up the relationship.

Part of the benefits of relationship counselling are:

Opportunity to discuss difficult topics between two people such as a betrayal or challenges with fertility for example. With the support of an independent third party who will gently ensure that both partners are heard.
Get to know partners better or learn to know partners again, and understand their wants and needs.
Opening communication in the relationship to overcome daily stress of life which can strain individuals and in turn relationships.
Work with loss and grief which can take various forms (bereavement, separation, fertility, identity,...)
Etc...