For Couples
Relationship review
Why wait until your relationship difficulties feel too big to manage before you take a look at the emotional health of your relationship.
Scheduling time to check in on how you’re both feeling in your relationship and deciding to get help with any problems that come up, can prevent molehills from turning into mountains that seem impossible to climb.
Cross-cultural issues
Finding common ground in your relationship when you and your partner come from different cultures can feel difficult to navigate.
Different backgrounds, different religions, different family structures, different traditions - all leading to different relationship expectations.
It can be hard to see the merit in your partner’s views when they are so completely different to the way you’ve been raised.
Poor communication
Getting help to communicate better with your partner is perhaps one of the healthiest things any couple can do for their relationship.
There are so many assumptions, presumptions, accusations and provocations that can get thrown about in relationships, working out a better way to communicate with each other can get you past the frustration of not feeling listened to or understood.
Out of control arguments
It’s difficult to know how to stop arguing with your partner when disagreements feel as though they have gotten completely out of hand.
Either one or both of you can feel so hell-bent on getting your point across that all listening stops.
And when this happens, it can become more about winning than finding a mutual understanding.
Difference of opinion
How do you stop bickering when it comes down to a difference of opinion with your partner?
It can often feel really difficult to accept that your partner may think differently to you, especially if it’s something you feel quite passionately about.
But these differences of opinion don’t have to drive you apart.
Breaking up
It can feel like torture for you both if one of you is having thoughts about ending your relationship or if you’re unsure about staying with your partner. You can both feel in a state of limbo, trying to decide if you stay or go.
The indecision can start to build resentment in you both – one person feeling trapped, while the other feels strung along. In this situation a therapist can help you both either rekindle the relationship, or move on in a healthy way.
Getting ready for married life
Pre-marriage counselling gives couples the opportunity to explore their expectations of marriage so that you may enjoy a happy life together.
Establishing a healthy approach to communication from the beginning can make it easier to manage difficulties that may arise later on.
Or you may want help to discuss an important topic ahead of your wedding.
Preparing for kids
Starting a family is a big decision for many couples. It can raise anxiety about the best way to parent, finances, living arrangements and much more besides.
One of the most crucial areas to think about is how children may also affect your couple relationship. You may want to speak to a therapist to understand how to maintain your relationship with your partner at the same time as being a parent for your children.
After an affair
Regaining trust after an affair can be a difficult road. It’s likely that both of you will feel strong emotions about what happened and why.
You may decide you want help to try and repair the relationship, or you need assistance to healthily separate, which can be especially important if you have children together.
Being guided to have an open conversation about what went wrong has the potential to feel cathartic for both of you.
Lack of sex drive
If you’re wondering how to get the passion back into your relationship there may be other problems at play that also need addressing first.
Differing sex drives can happen throughout a relationship, but if sex is often avoided by either of you, it could indicate the need to look at your emotional connection as well as your sexual one.
Living apart
If you need help with a long distance relationship, or managing time apart as a couple due to various circumstances (work, study etc) it can sometimes be useful to speak with someone who can help you bridge the gap. Living apart doesn’t have to create a gulf between you.
Facilitating a conversation for you both to share your expectations in this situation can help you manage the physical and emotional distance you may be feeling.
Work life balance
When career ambition gets in the way of your relationship it can often be difficult to negotiate how you split your time.
If one person is spending more time in the office leaving the other feeling abandoned, or if both of you give more attention to developing your business relationships and neglect your personal relationship, it can build resentment or a rift.
If you find yourself in this predicament, it may be necessary to take stock of your commitments in order to strike a better work life balance. .