Couples Therapy

Infidelity 

When a couple faces infidelity or another significant betrayal in their relationship, they will experience significant distress. Seeking professional support from a therapist trained in helping couples in these situations is an important and healing step to take. With some guidance a couple can manage to work through a betrayal and grow stronger in their relationship. This journey is not an easy one though. It will require dedication and commitment from both partners to work towards healing in the relationship.

Conflict

Experiencing high levels of conflict in a relationship can be emotionally draining and exhausting. Continued unresolved conflict can cause a relationship to deteriorate over time. Avoiding conflict is not a solution. A couple should rather work towards conflict resolution. This may however require the guidance of a couples therapist.  An eventual break up is often the result of unresolved conflict that has built up over an extended period of time.

INTIMACY 

Intimacy is often a sensitive topic in a relationship. A couple can often mistakenly attribute the lack of intimacy in their relationship to a lack of physical attraction they have for their partner. When a couple faces intimacy issues in their relationship it may in fact be due to other areas of their relationship that are not healthy.  A couple should pay attention to the level to which they are emotionally intimate and engaged in the relationship. A deeper level of emotional closeness and intimacy may lead to a deeper level of physical closeness and intimacy. Intimacy in a relationship remains a complex issue. Work towards having a deeper emotional connection in your relationship and see how it impacts your level of physical intimacy. If you are struggling to develop a deeper emotional connection in your relationship, reach out and get some guidance from a couples therapist.

Anger

Anger is an emotion that can be difficult to manage in any situation. In relationships, it can be especially challenging to manage anger due to the close and intimate nature of the relationship. It’s important to learn how to recognise, manage, and control anger in relationships. 

There are many causes of anger in relationships. Some of the most common causes of anger include feelings of being hurt, frustrated, neglected or bullied in the relationship. Other causes of anger in relationships can include power struggles, unresolved issues, miscommunication, and unmet needs. Intense and prolonged anger can create animosity and resentment in a couple's relationship. 

Signs of anger can include raised voices, increased body tension, and aggressive behaviour. It’s important to recognise these signs and take steps to manage the anger before it gets out of control and becomes a pattern in the relationship.

One of the most difficult questions in a relationship is 'should I stay or should I go?'.

How do you decide? In life we usually have one of three options. Either we accept things in the relationship for what they are or we change the things we can or we break up. The real question should rather be 'can things change?' and 'What can change in my relationship that will make it good enough for me to stay?'

A couples therapist may help you find answers to these questions.

Breaking up

It's hard to do. One of the most painful human experiences is the sense of loss. And a relationship break up can sometimes leave one with a deep sense of loss and hurt. The reality is that some relationships deteriorate to the extent where it causes more harm than good. This might bring a couple to a crossroads where breaking up may be better than staying in a harmful or abusive relationship. 

Breaking up is a process rather than an event. It may be challenging to untangle oneself emotionally from one another. Social and emotional factors as well as the level of past investment in the relationship are all factors to consider during a breakup. A couples therapist may offer assistance and support during such a difficult time.