Are you experiencing any of the following communication struggles in your relationships?

• Constantly feeling misunderstood by your partner
• Difficulty bringing up sensitive topics that need to be addressed
• Feeling like you and your partner go in circles and never get to the root of the problem
• Struggling with defensiveness, criticism, or shutting down when trying to solve a problem
• Feeling disconnected from your partner or find yourself missing how things were in the beginning of the relationship
• Realizing you’re having communication challenges outside of your relationship; including with coworkers, friends, parents, etc.

Romantic relationships are so important in creating a sense of safety and belonging in our lives, which is why they can feel so devastating when the relationship is going wrong. It is normal to advocate for yourself and desire to have your needs met, however, people often go about this in counterproductive ways that end up making them feel even farther away from their partner.

At times it may feel like it is impossible to get on the same page with your partner, which leaves you feeling like you are speaking two different languages. Communication issues are common, but not easy, and can leave both you and your partner feeling hurt, resentful, or alone. It is easy for small misunderstandings to build over time and turn into serious emotional injuries, however, learning healthier ways to communicate and respond to your partner can help heal the relationship.

If all couples deal with communication issues, why should we come to therapy?

While communication issues are common, they can have lasting and damaging effects on a relationship. Everyone brings their own experiences, past relationships, trauma, and realities into their relationship, which influences the way they perceive and respond others. There may be ways you learned to survive or cope in childhood or past relationships that currently do not serve you now. It is your therapist’s job to help you navigate these experiences and heal past wounds so that you can learn a healthier way of connecting and communicating.

How can therapy improve my/our communication?

Our therapists are trained to work with individuals and couples to understand the underlying emotions or thoughts that contribute to their negative communication cycles. Not only can your therapist help you identify these emotions and thoughts, but can also help you with identifying how they influence your behaviors. By more deeply understanding yourself, you can have the awareness to respond instead of react when triggered/stressed. This awareness can lead to more positive interactions within all of your relationships.