Relationship Counseling For Individuals

Looking To Improve Your Relationship?

Have you identified particular relationship patterns or issues that you want to address on your own?

Do you feel lost, confused, or dissatisfied in your partnership, often left wondering, Am I the problem?

Are you already in couples counseling yet looking to bolster the insights you take from there so you can improve your individual mental health and outlook?

Or is your partner not quite ready to make the commitment to therapy despite you feeling strongly that something needs to change?

Relationships are an essential element of our lives as humans. When put under stress—whether due to significant life events, betrayal, or a slow erosion over time—our relationships can begin to interfere with every aspect of life, affecting how we feel and interact with others on a daily basis. Unhealthy patterns are likely to emerge, leading to disconnection, withdrawal, and loneliness. 

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Perhaps You Weren’t Offered Healthy Examples For How To Communicate And Interact

It’s possible that—like most of us—you weren’t given healthy blueprints for conflict. You may be starting to recognize how the models for intimacy and communication you were given in the past are impacting your relationships today, causing you to question your role in the relationship dynamic. You may feel motivated to better tolerate differences, reduce conflict, and enhance the passion between you and your partner, regardless of whether you’ve already tried couples therapy or not. 

Individual counseling could be the key to improving the quality of all of your relationships. And a healthy, joyful, and satisfying relationship dynamic can be achieved as you learn to repair misunderstandings and effectively communicate your needs in therapy. 

Every Relationship Is Made Up Of Separate, Autonomous Individuals

All relationships evolve through a series of predictable stages. Every partner has their own unique experience at each stage and moves at their own pace. As a result, conflicts are bound to arise, which means that we have to negotiate our differences and create a relationship that works for both parties.

Unfortunately, many couples become discouraged by the presence of conflict, often withdrawing, detaching, or distracting themselves instead of facing issues head-on. Not to mention, there remains a misconception that couples therapy or asking for help signals irreconcilable differences. This can make one partner resistant to the idea of counseling, even if another partner wants to give it a try. 

The truth is relationship counseling—in all its forms—is more about the individual than the couple. In order for progress to take place, you must be willing to focus on enacting positive change within yourself instead of believing it’s up to your partner to do all the growing. 

Whether you are struggling in your partnership, looking to supplement couples therapy, or curious about your relationship patterns, desires, and fears, individual counseling can help you lean into the discomfort so that positive growth and change can take place. 

My Approach To Relationship Therapy For Individuals

As a systems-oriented therapist, I look at most challenges people face from the lens of relationships. As my clients increase awareness about their role in conflicts and mis-attunements and the resulting impact, I find that they are better prepared to manage their emotional responses and successfully navigate relational differences. 

Individual relationship therapy offers you clarity about the relationship you want to create, the partner you aspire to be, and the skills needed to make your vision a reality. Alternatively, if you and your partner are interested in attending therapy together, you can find out more on my Couples Therapy page.

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What To Expect

A big element of counseling is to help you understand how your personal history and formative attachments impact the way you respond to differences. As I offer space and perspective for exploring your experiences, emotions, and coping behaviors, you will acquire a profound understanding of your interpersonal habits. With this, you can better manage your stress levels and pave the way for both of you to feel seen and heard in the conversation. 

I will also help you explore your core values and ideal relationship dynamic so that we can work together on putting a meaningful plan into action. As we further unpack your vision, I will offer you tangible skills for coping, communication, and collaboration that can positively transform your interactions. 

At the end of the day, the only person you can control in your relationship is yourself. Through therapy, you can discover new possibilities and ways of thinking about your role in your relationship. By learning to take an active, empowered approach with your partner, yourself, and everyone else in your life, you can influence all of your relationships toward the future you most desire. 

Still Not Sure If Counseling Is Right For You?

Can therapy improve my relationship even if I go alone?

An effort is required of both partners to achieve sustained improvement. That said, becoming the most effective partner possible is the most efficient way to enact change within your relationship. 

Individual therapy supports you in developing the right attitude about change and improving your response to presenting relationship issues. And many of my clients in individual counseling see significant improvements in their relationships as they become more aware of their particular role in their conflict. 

I don’t want to portray my partner as a bad person.

This is a completely understandable concern. While it’s important for me to have an understanding of your partner, I will always address your differences with sensitivity and respect. Furthermore, I will work with you to develop pro-relational skills throughout our time together, which includes how to portray your partner both thoughtfully and truthfully. 

Regardless of your presenting concerns, therapy is a chance to speak freely about your thoughts and feelings regarding your partner’s role in your relationship challenges. However, the focus of therapy will ultimately be on you—not them. 

I’m recently out of a relationship—is now the right time to talk to a therapist?

Individual counseling can certainly be very insightful if you’re considering or experiencing the end of a relationship. Not only can therapy help you grieve the loss and manage the tough emotions that often accompany breakups—it can also offer you an opportunity to create meaning out of your experience so that you can unlock positive outcomes in the future. 

Take The First Step Toward The Relationship You Desire

Our lives revolve around our relationships, and therapy is a chance to make those relationships as healthy, fulfilling, and enduring as possible. To find out more about how individual relationship counseling might benefit you, contact me.