Relationships can be the most rewarding part of life, but when things aren’t working, it’s often hard to understand why. Therapy can help you see the patterns at play and find ways to connect more honestly with yourself and others.
Understanding Relationship Struggles
You might find yourself repeating the same arguments, feeling misunderstood, or growing distant from someone who matters to you. Sometimes the frustration runs deeper than a specific disagreement. You may not know why certain people trigger such strong reactions in you, or why you keep ending up in similar situations despite your best efforts.
These struggles are common, and they don’t mean your relationship is beyond repair.
Psychotherapy and counselling can be invaluable here. We look at the strands of our relationship patterns. We look at how our past and present experiences colour our relationships. We then find the roots of our behaviour patterns, resolve conflicts that are inevitably there and come to a reconciliation with ourselves.
Ultimately, relationship difficulties are about our relationship with ourselves first. As we understand how we are within ourselves we develop a better relationship with ourselves. When this happens, we like ourselves more and we find it easier to like others and they in turn find it easier to like us – what we all want.
Starting with Yourself
Ultimately, how you relate to others reflects how you relate to yourself. As you develop greater self-understanding and self-acceptance, your connections with others tend to improve. When you like yourself more, it becomes easier to be open with others, and they often respond in kind.
This doesn’t mean your struggles are all your fault. But focusing on what you can change, rather than trying to fix someone else, is usually the most productive path forward.
How Therapy Helps
Therapy provides space to examine the strands of your relationship patterns. You can explore how past experiences, family dynamics and earlier relationships shape the way you connect with others now. Often, the roots of current difficulties lie in experiences you haven’t fully processed.
The aim is to understand the beliefs and behaviours that keep causing problems. Once you can see them clearly, you have the option to respond differently.
Studies on couples therapy consistently show that professional support helps partners communicate more effectively and resolve conflicts that feel stuck. But relationship therapy isn’t only for couples. Individual work can be equally valuable, helping you to understand your relationship patterns.
How to Arrange an Appointment
You can browse therapist profiles on our website and make an appointment, or get in touch at enquiries@mindandbodyworks.com or 01 677 1021 for a recommendation based on your needs. Ready to begin? Book online today.
FAQ
Either option works. Individual therapy can help you understand your own patterns, while couples therapy addresses the dynamic between you. Some people do both.
You can still make meaningful progress on your own. Changes in one person often shift the dynamic of the whole relationship.
Communication problems, recurring conflict, trust issues, feeling disconnected, managing differences, and navigating major life transitions are all common reasons people seek help.
This depends on what you’re working through. Some people find a few sessions clarify things considerably; others benefit from longer-term work to address deeper patterns.
