Relationship issues and relational counselling

Relationships are a really important aspect of our lives for many of us.  Many people seek help with their relationships through relational counselling and psychotherapy, wanting more intimacy, fulfilment and joy from the relationships they have with others.

Some people come to therapy because they are lonely and have difficulty making or maintain friendships. Others come because they are struggling within their relationship because of conflict they are experiencing or life changes.

Family issues are another area within the sphere of relationships that are cause of concern for many. Many different circumstances arise which present as difficulties.  Examples include parenting, forming a new family, the impact of parents separating, cultural issues within families.  

Endings of relationships also are often a cause of emotional distress for people.  Sometimes someone is unhappy in a relationship and has difficulty in ending a relationship themselves. From time to time relationships end abruptly.   Sudden endings can be very difficult to cope with.  Affairs and betrayal within relationships and moving on afterwards form the focus of work for clients.    

When parents separate and divorce this can cause emotional distress and difficulty for the parents and the children involved.   There can be issues concerning for example self-esteem, handling financial difficulties and the stress that can be associated with the major life changes that this kind of situation provides.

Other relationships end because of a death or illness of a family member, close friend or loved one. Some people benefit from working through the grieving process gently in order to come to terms with the loss that they have experienced.  Sometimes relationships undergo significant change because of the illness of a partner or loved one.

Of course there are many different kinds of relationship concerns that someone might present with when seeking therapy. Whatever the issues they have and present with, it is possible to explore the concerns that they might have in the date and comfortable environment that relationship counselling can offer.