More than anything, you want to save your relationship. You’ve been together for a long time and just want to be able to talk to each other without it turning into a fight every time. You feel disconnected from each other. You feel like you and your partner can’t even talk about simple stuff because you always disagree. Or worse yet, you’ve stopped listening to each other, or maybe even stopped caring. You feel like you and your partner are just roommates, instead of soulmates. You feel like it’s easier to just avoid each other than run the risk of another hurtful argument. And you feel lonely, even though you share a home.
In a practical way, I will teach you how to listen to understand, instead of thinking about how to respond, how to create healthy boundaries in the relationship by using a proven formula for productive dialogue, how to have difficult conversations & fight fairly, and how to maintain a healthy relationship. Together we will practice these new skills in session until they become almost second nature and you’ll practice them between sessions until it becomes your new “norm”.
Communication problems often happen because we haven’t learned any conflict resolution skills or how to fight fairly. Obviously, couples will disagree; that’s natural. It’s how you handle the disagreements that matter. In therapy, you’ll learn fair fighting rules and conflict resolution, so that you have tools in your toolbelt for when you do disagree. You’ll learn how to hear yours and your partner’s underlying emotions, take responsibility for your own feelings and actions, and make informed changes that will transform your relationship.