Therapy for Strained Relationships
Understanding relationship distress and building stronger connection, friendship, and intimacy
You might be considering therapy for relationship issues because…
You're longing for acceptance, closeness, and understanding in your relationships but struggle to communicate your needs and fears to those you love.
Frequent arguments are making it difficult to see whether trust and understanding are still possible between you.
You may already be in couples counseling and want individual support to understand how your history and experiences influence your communication patterns—and to learn how to emotionally engage without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.
Perhaps you or someone you love has become overwhelmed by difficult emotions and trapped in rigid, negative patterns. Or maybe you're noticing emotional distance and numbness in yourself or someone who matters deeply to you. You can't seem to reach each other, and that feels devastating.
The way you're coping with hurt, anger, loneliness, fear, and distress may be affecting the people you love. You promise yourself you'll handle it better next time, but find it hard to express yourself in ways that feel good.
Possibly you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, and you're unsure how to help or what to do.
Maybe your relationship is ending and you want support as you grieve and move forward.
Whatever brings you to therapy for relationship strain, there is hope, understanding, and a path toward creating a resilient, satisfying life. Read on to see if my approach might help you.
What does attachment science tell us about adult relationships?
You may be experiencing distress in one or more of your primary relationships because of an unmet relational need. These needs are essential for experiencing genuine connection and a strong bond.
Most adults long to feel seen, understood, wanted, and appreciated in relationships. We want to know the important people in our lives will be there when we need them and have our best interests at heart.
There's a fundamental need to know we can trust our people and that they trust us.
We look to see that we can get it right in the eyes of those who matter most and that they can handle our vulnerability. We hope to hear we're not "too much" while also being able to witness the vulnerability of our closest companions.
Loving, safe, secure relationships are built from validation, empathy, comfort, reflection, listening, presence, vulnerability, touch, and support.
Cultivate resilient relationships with yourself and those you love
The first step in changing troubling interactions is understanding the communication pattern that sends your relationship into a downward spiral. We'll examine what's blocking connection as we explore barriers to responding with compassion and reassurance. Through this process, I'll help you develop curiosity, flexibility, and empathy.
I'll help you identify ways to re-establish emotional safety and security after conflict. We'll work together to create a process for repairing your connection after disruptions.
As we explore your relationship goals, you'll discover ways to reduce conflict and increase friendship, intimacy, and connection.
To gain insight into your inner world, I'll help you deepen your awareness of emotions and the impact of expressing—or not expressing—them. We'll explore how unmet relationship needs affect you and strengthen your strategies for coping with feelings of hurt, loneliness, inadequacy, or disconnection.
Together, we go beneath the surface to reveal the weight of unhealed hurts and unmet needs, bringing them into the light with curiosity, courage, and empathy. We explore the role of emotion and the connection between feelings, meaning, and behavior.
Throughout our work together, I collaborate with you on your care to ensure it aligns with your goals and desired outcomes. Engagement, compassion, and acceptance are at the heart of how I believe people change and build fulfilling, resilient lives.