"NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS - AWAY FROM THE OFFICE"
I believe that relationships are the cornerstone to healthy functioning for all individuals. We all have an inborn instinct to desire acceptance and belonging with others, and relationships are how we achieve the safety in which to explore and grow in the world. Once we leave the safety of our family of origin, we begin to create relationships with friends, colleagues, roommates, significant others, children, and others within our community. We feel varying degrees of safety and trust within each of these relationships, which then reflects on how we feel about ourselves and how we take risks that allow us to develop as confident individuals. This confidence to be who we are then translates into our sense of self and our ability to maintain healthy boundaries and communication within relationships, which in turn supports our sense of belonging and safety.
If you are struggling to feel accepted for who you are (including thoughts, feelings, actions, motivations, values, needs, etc), you may notice uncomfortable symptoms such as feeling lonely, anxious, depressed, angry, desperate, longing, frustrated, or any other emotion. These feelings motivate how you treat others, and influence how they treat you. It is typical to repeat an argument about the dishes, taking out the trash, or how how to use the toothpaste dispenser, without addressing the underlying desires to be heard, respected, or cared for. In therapy, you can develop a safe space in which to explore and understand how these feelings contribute to the choices you make and how you communicate with others. In couples therapy, you have a chance to learn to communicate on a deeper level with your partner, recognize how your communication style impacts your partner, how your partner’s communication impacts you, and create the safety required to take vulnerable risks and develop more emotional connection and closeness with them.
Marriage therapy, couples therapy, premarital counseling, and discernment counseling all take courage! If you are unsatisfied with how your relationship is going for whatever reason, I am here to help navigate what is going on, build the necessary skills to recognize and resolve concerns, and create the experience necessary to evoke change within the relationship you value most. Whether you are planning a long-term commitment with a new partner, have been with the same person for a long time, or are at your wits end and considering ending the relationship, you have options! You can keep going the way things are, you can end the relationship, or you can commit to the process of learning how you and this other person fit together, what works and what doesn‘t, and work towards implementing small changes that can make all the difference.
Please reach out to me if you would like more information, are considering couples counseling, or are ready to begin this meaningful and courageous work.