Relationship counselling can take many focuses: couples, family of origin, workplace relations, friends and relationship to self. All of these associations are about a relationship. The focus of counselling is how to assist the individual to better understand their own ways of relating to self and others: what patterns you repeat, and what roles, needs and desires you are trying to get fulfilled. With awareness, then comes emotional, cognitive, and behavioural skill building to replace old ways of relating with more effective and healthy alternatives.

Counselling to improve your relationships may include:

• Understanding your past wounds
• Learning and addressing your problematic beliefs
• When to walk away from toxic relationships (intimate, friendship, workplace)
• How to relate or not to relate with people displaying narcissism traits or narcissistic personality disorder
• Your relationship patterns and how to change it
• Attachment theory and relating from a new relationship map
• Identifying power dynamics and defence mechanisms
• You basic rights in a relationship
• Improving appropriate communication of your thoughts and emotions

Couples Counselling

One of the most common forms of relationship counselling is couples counselling. Couples counselling can address a range of relationship issues to determine whether to stay and repair and enhance a relationship or separate amicably.

Specific examples of some issues that can be addressed in couples counselling include:

• Communication and conflict patterns
• Power dynamics
• Difficulties with emotional and sexual intimacy
• Parenting
• Managing blended or step-family situations and extended family
• Recovery from infidelity
• Domestic violence.

As with all therapy a counsellor is there to assist the individual or couple to gain their own clarity about a situation and develop better ways of managing that situation. The counsellor is not there to guide the individual or couple toward values or beliefs personally held by the counsellor. Counselling is non-judgemental and respectful at all times.

At Integrative Psychology our therapists are trained in a variety of approaches to assist with a range of relationships including:

• The Gottman Method
• Emotion Focused Couples Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Transactional Analysis
• Imago Therapy
• Interpersonal Neurobiology