Are You And Your Partner Struggling To Connect?

Do you and your partner argue with each other to the extent where one or both of you feels emotionally hurt? Are you both irritated by each other’s actions, emotions or decisions? Do you struggle to communicate your needs to each other? Perhaps you and your partner are preparing to get married, but worry that your core goals and values are not aligned. Or maybe you and your partner are separated or divorced and you need help redefining your relationship and your mutual goals. If you have a child, do you worry that your verbal fights are negatively affecting your child’s development? Has an affair or another betrayal comprised your connection, trust and intimacy? Do you wish you and your partner could work through your issues together and reestablish a healthy, meaningful and resilient bond?

No matter if you are in a budding relationship full of possibilities, a deteriorating relationship or a relationship that has ended, relationships can be complicated and require thoughtful, hard work. Preparing to get married can be an exciting time, but you may be concerned about you and your partner’s long-term goals and whether the two of you can develop the resilience to maintain a strong relationship. If you and your partner have started to drift apart from one another, you may routinely argue with each other in person, over phone calls and through text messages. When you verbally fight with your partner, you or your partner may choose to isolate or disengage from conversation for an extended period of time. If you have a child, you may worry that your child senses the negative emotions in your relationship and has developed anxiety around these situations. If you are at the end of your relationship, you may question how you and your partner can rebuild and balance your lives in order to raise your child together.

Relationship Worries Are Very Common

Most couples struggle through periods of time when they feel frustrated, disconnected or concerned. Young couples who are ready to get married may still have trouble coming together and setting common goals and expectations. Many other couples struggle to communicate openly and are often unsure of how to interact with each other. When both partners’ needs are not met, it is very common for couples to form negative patterns of communication that include fighting and/or attempting to avoid certain interactions. Relationship issues are especially common today because of our society’s fast-paced and demanding lifestyle. And, unfortunately, romantic relationships often suffer when individuals cannot find a balance between their work and home lives.

Build And Strengthen Your Relationship’s Bond With Couples Therapy

During nonjudgmental, safe and collaborative couples therapy sessions, you and your partner will work with one of our experienced Life Balance Counseling therapists to identify each other’s needs, learn helpful communication tools and regain confidence in your relationship.

In most cases, both partners in a relationship do not fully understand what upsets their partner. In couples therapy, you and your partner will have the chance to identify each other’s specific needs and develop goals to meet these needs. Your therapist can help the two of you gain perspective as you address your deeper concerns and successfully plan a way to break out of the negative cycle of communication.

As you and your partner work together to create and meet your relationship goals in couples therapy, your therapist will provide you with helpful tools to help communicate openly and maintain trust in each other. Some of these tools include listening techniques, emotional regulation techniques and strategies to establish healthy boundaries. Your therapist may also ask you and your partner to participate in role playing exercises during sessions in order to deepen your understanding of how you both feel in specific situations.

If you and your partner are preparing to get married or are newlyweds, your therapist can work with the two of you to align your goals and build a strong and resilient bond. Taking these preparatory steps can build confidence. By working as a team at the onset, you’ll have the skills and history needed to continue to work together and succeed in the future.

If you and your partner have separated or divorced and have a child together, your therapist can help ease you through the process of rebuilding your lives. In couples therapy, you can work to create a plan to balance all of your needs as you move forward and continue to raise your child together.

The therapists at Life Balance Counseling have more than 20 years of combined experience in helping couples develop common goals, regain their spark, reconnect and peacefully live a fulfilling life. No matter the issues you and your partner are faced with, there is help and hope for your relationship. Couples therapy can help you and your partner find your unique balance and meet each other’s needs.

I believe my partner and I can benefit from couples therapy, but I still have a few questions and concerns…

I’m worried that couples therapy will shine a light on all that’s not working and make my relationship worse than it already is.  

You and your partner may have gotten so ingrained in negative patterns that you worry that making any changes could cause your relationship to fall apart. The truth is, however, that by avoiding your issues, your relationship may suffer even more in the future. When you put in the effort into improving your relationship with couples therapy, you have the chance to break out of your negative patterns of communication and build a strong bond of love and trust.

My partner does not want to attend couples therapy sessions.

 It’s common for people to feel hesitant about seeking relationship help. If this is the case, you can start working with one of our therapists individually. Once your partner observes how comfortable you seem attending sessions, he or she may want to participate in couples therapy. If your partner still does not want to join in sessions, our individual sessions can teach you ways to engage your partner in different techniques and exercises that may gradually improve your relationship.

My relationship with my partner is already ending. How can couples therapy help?

The therapists at Life Balance Counseling have seen many struggling relationships drastically improve. While you or your partner may have hope to regain the spark you once had, the other may be ready to move on. In this case, your therapist can help you through the separation or divorce process, alleviate your pain and create a positive plan for moving forward.

Find The Spark And Resilience In Your Relationship

 If you are ready to work with your partner to meet each other’s needs and build a fortified relationship, we invite you to call us for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We’re happy to discuss your needs, our practice and how couples therapy can help.

Relationship Counselors:

Jennifer Klemm, MS, LPC
Daniella Raimondi, MS, LPC
Ted Ribbens, MSW

If you are interested in learning more about our couples and marriage counseling services, please call us at 847.220.6981 or contact us online.