Relationships tend to be the most important area in people’s lives, playing a significant role in influencing happiness, fulfillment and quality of life. When there is a relationship difficulty it can often lead to feelings of frustration, sadness and helplessness where it can be difficult to believe that change and improvement is possible. Therapy can give people skills to help them overcome their relationship difficulties.

One common relationship difficulty is experiencing anxiety and depression about not having a partner, and feeling pressure from others and within, to find a life-long partner or the ‘right’ partner. Finding a partner and dating can prove to be a very stressful experience. Underlying some dating anxieties can be: fear of rejection, lack of self-confidence and perpetual negative thoughts. Anxieties about finding a partner can lead to many avoidant behaviours, for example, not showing interest when friends introduce potential suitors, finding reasons not to go on dates, and telling yourself and others that you do not need any partner. These avoidant behaviours can lead to loneliness and isolation, and the difficulties in finding a relationship continues.

Another common relationship difficulty is coping with distress and conflict within a relationship. It is normal for couples to argue and experience conflicts, however if these conflicts are frequent, intense and significantly impacting on your relationship it may indicate a problem that is worth addressing. Conflicts can arise for many reasons, perhaps due to stressful lifestyles, financial pressures, different ways in running the household, different parenting styles, sexual difficulties and differing expectations of each other. Couples counselling can help partners identify how they handle the challenges in their relationship in terms of their behaviour and communication. It can teach effective strategies and techniques to help improve communication, manage conflicts and find ways to connect again.

Separation and divorce rank in the top 3 most stressful life events that can happen to a person. Accompanying the loss of relationship there is often extremely intense emotions, including feelings of numbness and emptiness, as well as deep sadness and upset. There can be feelings of anger, guilt and shame. It is common to ruminate on the relationship, questioning what went wrong and who was to blame. With the loss of relationship there can be many accompanying losses, including: loss of identity, companionship, friends and family. There can be depressive symptoms and significant anxieties about the future with practical, psychological and emotional concerns. Therapy can help people cope with their overwhelming emotions, support them through their process of loss and provide the tools and strength to move forward from it.

Daily life is surrounded by relationships and when there are problems with significant others it can have a significant impact on your wellbeing. When there are relationship difficulties it can sometimes be easy to identify what the other person needs to change, but can be difficult to identify changes you can make or how to make the relationship better. By talking it through with a psychologist at Mindframe Psychology, you can learn ways to manage situations more effectively, and relationships can improve, leading to greater happiness in life.