Affection, touch, romantic and loving gestures can diminish as the distractions and stress of everyday life take over. Communication can break down – bickering, point scoring, both sides not feeling heard or understood. Resentment and bitterness can build, creating barriers to emotional and physical intimacy and closeness.
Each partner may blame the other for the problems they are experiencing within the relationship. But in reality, each partner plays a part in contributing to those difficulties.
Relationship counselling offers a safe space for both partners to be fully heard and to fully hear each other (without the interrupting, speaking over, defensiveness and point-scoring that often sidetrack relationship discussions outside of therapy). The counselling environment offers a clear set of boundaries, an impartial facilitator and a new way of communicating.
There is no guarantee that couples counselling will save your relationship – some couples find clarity in counselling that their relationship has, in fact, run its course, allowing them to walk away knowing that they did everything that they could.
But many couples find a way of creating a more enjoyable and fulfilling relationship that meets each partner’s needs and creates a new level of closeness and connection.
“We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.” – John Lennon