Not all relationships reveal a perfect portrait.
Ongoing connection with other people is one of the brightest joys in life. Friendships, relationships, and situationships offer texture, light, and growth to our days. We learn vulnerability, trust, love, and empathy in our time spent with others.
When these relationships go awry, dealing with them can become challenging, sometimes creating a different portrait of yourself – one not so easy to view.
A significant violation of trust can feel too shameful to share. Clamming up, shutting down, and vowing never to trust again feels like a safer response, and blaming yourself for screwing up “again” can feel comforting.
Relationships are sometimes complicated, and less “traditional” situations can seem at odds with therapy. But therapy can make a difference.
Therapy in the past has gotten a bad rap.
The idea of therapists trying to make people take medication or conform can make it seem like sharing won’t help. The reality is, as a person-centered therapist, I know that YOU know what works for you.
My approach is nonjudgmental, and I have experience with monogamous, polyamorous, and monogamish romantic and sexual relationships. The hallmark of our work is figuring out your goals and what meets your needs and wants from a partner, friend, spouse, or joyfriend.
While looking outside at connections with others is a crucial element of holistic satisfaction in life, the most important relationship you’ll have is the one you have with yourself. Therapy helps deepen your understanding of your emotional world – where those emotions come from and how you meet them.
Therapy helps clarify your motivation behind those feelings, that argument, or that breakup. Through therapy, you can find comfort and ease in navigating with curiosity and support, multifaceted (and potentially newfound) layers of identity and attraction. As you learn about yourself within those layers, you learn to break old patterns and habits and embrace new ways to think, be, and do.
Create a different portrait of your relationships.
Ultimately, all those layers weave together and create a picture, a portrait of yourself you’ll be happy to see. This version of yourself makes it easier to say no to things you don’t want without feeling guilty.
Now, you can speak and be heard, feel more connected to friends and family, and be willing to share without being afraid of being hurt.
Taking risks on that person or relationship without the fear of being seen and rejected can occur without feeling overwhelmed.
Through therapy, you can gain confidence and self-esteem in knowing where your responsibility ends, and others begin.
Call me today, and let’s get started.