Individual Therapy for Relationship Issues
Learn more effective ways to communicate with your partner about difficult topics and develop healthy ways to manage the uncomfortable emotions that come up when doing so in individual therapy. Gain a greater awareness of the patterns that show up in your relationship, learn the role you play in those patterns, and identify healthier ways to address similar situations moving forward.
Why individual therapy? Shouldn’t I be doing couple’s therapy to improve my relationship?
Couple’s therapy is great! If you and your partner are both willing to participate in couple’s therapy, by all means, please do!
Individual therapy for relationship issues is not an alternative to couple’s therapy. It’s a compliment to couple’s therapy and something that can actually make couple’s therapy more effective.
In fact, if you’re planning on doing couple’s therapy, you might be surprised to learn that your couple’s therapist will often recommend you find an individual therapist as well. That’s because gaining insight and awareness of your own personal triggers, stressors, and ways of coping is essential to learning how to effectively navigate stress and conflict in your relationship.
Can individual therapy for relationship issues help if I’m not in couple’s therapy too?
If you’re having relationship issues, and your partner is not open to relationship therapy, or you are hesitant to suggest going to couple’s therapy to your partner, individual therapy is often a great place to start.
In individual therapy, you can learn healthier and more effective communication skills which can improve the quality of your relationship. You can also explore ways to discuss your concerns with your partner and learn how to cope with the discomfort of having these difficult but important conversations.
Therapy helps you learn how to process what you’re feeling
Individual therapy for relationship issues gives you a supportive space to process how you are truly feeling in your relationship. Your therapist is a neutral person who will help you talk through your frustrations and explore through your worries and concerns. This process can help bring clarity to the issues that truly need to be addressed in your relationship, and put into perspective annoyances about your partner which you are willing to learn to accept.
In individual therapy, you’re allowed to say exactly what’s on your mind without worrying about hurting your partner’s feelings, or needing to filter your thoughts. This process in of itself can be helpful and therapeutic. So often, we stop ourselves from truly feeling our feelings due to fears of the consequences. This can be an attempt to protect ourselves or our partners from hurt, stress, or pain. In reality, this avoidance does not protect us or our relationship, but rather prevents us from moving forward. Processing through your true feelings can help you get unstuck and create new, healthier ways of relating to and connecting with your partner.
Create healthier boundaries for yourself in individual therapy
Boundaries are tough, but they are a non-negotiable in healthy relationships. Individual therapy for relationship issues can help you identify where your boundaries currently are and how well they are working for you.
A key component of creating healthier boundaries is understanding how our current boundaries came to be. Oftentimes, these are formed based upon things we learned or observed as we were growing up. Other times, life events cause us to shift the way we view and approach the world. Whatever shaped your current boundaries, gaining clarity around them is crucial to creating healthier ones.
What type of relationship issues can individual therapy help with?
The answer is, more than I can list here, but to name a few:
How to stop feeling like you’re walking on eggshells in your relationship
Improving communication with your partner
Breaking the cycle of high highs and low lows
Building trust in your relationship
Forgiving yourself or forgiving your partner
Gaining clarity around important decisions in your relationship
If you’re struggling in your relationship, individual therapy for relationship issues is an extremely helpful resource. Whether it’s a compliment to couple’s therapy or a stand alone support, individual therapy for relationship issues can help.
Have questions about your specific situation? Schedule a free phone consultation and let’s talk.