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Couples Counseling |
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Couples Counseling |
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Relationship Repair If you are reading this I am guessing that you may be concerned about your relationship. It might seem as though no matter what you do or don’t do, nothing is helping and, things might even be getting worse. Without major changes, your relationship might even come apart.
First, I
congratulate you for having the courage to explore a site like this for help or
ideas. Far too many relationships wither and suffer too long because of
reluctance to seek help. The truth is that couples today face demands and challenges that are far larger and more complex than what our parents faced. Careers, children, family issues, and financial worries all seem to pull couples apart. In striving to meet all those demands, there is seldom enough time, energy or money to help the couple become stronger and continue to grow together. These stresses may show up in your relationship as unspoken tension, anger outbursts, emotional or physical withdrawal, increased fights or arguments, emotional or physical affairs, communication problems, loss of connection, sexual difficulties, addictive behaviors or parenting issues. The good news is that with help, many couples are able to repair much more than they ever thought possible and go on to build rewarding and passionate long-term relationships. Co-Parenting and Step-Parenting When your marriage or relationship ends, your parenting relationships remain. In fact, when you are no longer together it is especially crucial for your children that you develop and maintain a cooperative and mutually supportive relationship as co-parents. Although this may seem a daunting task, it is possible if both of you are willing to place the needs of the children ahead of your personal needs or issues. Even if only one of you is willing to make efforts toward positive change, there are often things that can be done to make life easier and more peaceful, especially for the children.
If yours is a blended family, you may already be experiencing the challenges of step-parenting (one of the most difficult roles in the world, in my opinion). You probably already feel the tension between step-siblings, parents and step-parents. You may know well the arguments, hurt feelings and tendencies to alienate, withdraw and separate as ways to try to reduce the tension and the issues that never seem to get resolved.
Although co-parenting and step-parenting are among the most challenging tasks you may face, know that with help, positive change is possible. With concrete ways to reduce conflict, communicate effectively and begin to build a sense of unity, families really can be blended successfully. At the core of every successfully blended family, you will find a couple who have developed a strong, patient and forgiving bond that allows for creative problem solving that preserves the executive function of the couple.
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COLUMBUS OFFICE 404 Washington Street, Suite 201-2 Columbus, IN 47201 812-372-6652 |
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Copyright 2008,
John Goll Counseling |
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