Therapy for relationship concerns
Relationships can be the best part of life and the hardest. Whether you are struggling with a partner, a family member or a pattern that keeps showing up in every close relationship, therapy gives you a steady place to slow down and understand what is happening.
You might be noticing
- Arguments that escalate quickly, or big topics you both avoid
- Feeling lonely or disconnected even when you are together
- Trust that has been shaken by infidelity, secrets or money
- Mismatched needs around intimacy, time or family
- Repeating the same hurt in different relationships
- Difficulty saying what you need, or saying no
- Wondering whether to stay, leave or try again
How we help
You do not have to be in crisis to start
Many couples wait until they are close to a split. Therapy can help at that point, and it can help much earlier too. Couples counseling is not only for the bad times. It is also a way to get better at being a team.
Working on the relationship together
In couples sessions, we explore what has driven you apart or what keeps you from moving forward. That can be uncomfortable. It can also be the first time the two of you talk about the hard things with a neutral person in the room. Common themes include communication, trust after betrayal, money, intimacy and the stress of life changes such as parenting.
Our clinicians often encourage each partner to set goals for themselves rather than for the other person. Vulnerability helps, and so does the work between sessions.
Working on your own patterns
You do not need a partner in the room to work on relationships. Many people come on their own because the same struggles keep repeating, whether in dating, friendships, family or work. Often those patterns began as ways of protecting yourself after an earlier hurt. Avoiding conflict, closeness or loss can feel safe, but it can also bring isolation and shame.
In individual therapy, you learn to notice what is happening as it happens and to try a different response. You will still get hurt sometimes, as everyone does. The aim is to get better at caring for yourself when it happens.
Boundaries and communication
Saying what you need is a skill. If you often say yes when you mean no, or feel resentful that you give more than you get, we can work on finding your limits and communicating them kindly and clearly.
How we help
Our clinicians draw on approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Coherence Therapy, depending on what fits you. Our clinicians are accustomed to working with partners in LGBTQIA+ relationships as well as non-traditional relationship structures. When you request an appointment, tell us whether you are coming alone or with a partner so we can match you with the right clinician.
A plan built around you
Every person is different and responds to different things. Your care can combine several evidence-based approaches, with or without medication. If questions come up about ADHD, autism or learning, psychological testing is available within the practice. And your plan can change as your needs do, including moving to another clinician on our team whose expertise fits better.
