Relationships

Symptoms

• You may fight all the time and forgot how to enjoy each other.
• You may have difficulty in communicating.
• You may not be getting your needs met.
• There may have been an affair.
• You may be so busy with work or family there is no time to be a couple.
• The in-laws may be interfering in your decisions.
• There may be an addiction that is impacting on your relationship.
• It may be that your sexual relationship is not satisfying.
• You may want vastly different things from your partner.
• There may be abuse or violence going on.
• It may be you are thinking about separation.
• You may be angry, lonely, confused, sad, bored, insecure or jealous.

Remedies

• With some exploration of your situation, life stage, recent events and family, it is possible to understand the cause of your difficulties, and start to make sense of them.

• With some therapeutic counselling, it is possible to alter your perspective and behaviour, which in turn may influence your partner's behaviour.
• It is possible to learn new ways of communicating and resolving conflict to take back home to your partner.
• It is possible to learn to relax your body and mind to help cope with stress using techniques like progressive muscle relaxation.
• Utilising mindfulness, you can learn to be an observer of your thoughts, feelings and sensations without being disturbed by them.
• Using a technique called focusing, first with the therapist and then on your own, you can learn to stay present to your body symptoms, which allows them to shift, change and bring relief.
• It is possible to use techniques like tapping, TFT, EFT with the therapist as well as on your own to soothe, calm and settle your distress.
• Utilising modalities like sand play therapy, art and expressive therapy, symbol work, working with parts and dream work it is possible to rework and transform your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and body sensations in relation to your situation.
• Utilising Bi-lateral Stimulation Processing, it is possible to rework and transform any past traumatic or painful events and any current triggers that may be contributing to your difficulties.
• With the use of hypnotherapy it is possible to access the unconscious mind to develop inner resources and coping capacities, as well as changing undesirable patterns and habits.
• Using a process like empty chair or letter writing, it may be possible to say all the things that you are having difficulties saying to your partner in person, which will shift your response to the issue.
• Developing and engaging in a process of therapeutic ritual may assist with celebrating, beginning and ending of relationship cycles.