Problems in your relationship can affect how you feel day to day. You may struggle to work or function if your home life is unfulfilling. Equally, if you are struggling with work stress or other life pressures, it can really affect your relationship in a negative way.
A compassionate couple is not one where nobody fights. It is a couple who manage to work through their fights in a way which helps them grow and get stronger together. Using Couples Compassion Therapy, developed by Michaela from evidence-based therapies, you will both learn how to form a deeper connection to your partner and be kinder to them, by learning to be kinder to yourself. You will be able to navigate arguments, make decisions, communicate better, increase your life satisfaction and your improve your work/life balance.
Challenges you might be facing
Infidelity
Depression
Stress
Constant arguments
Loss of intimacy
Rejection
Low self-esteem
Perfectionism
Infidelity
You think or know your partner has had an affair
Finding out that your partner or spouse has been unfaithful is a major shock and a trauma to a committed relationship. The trust has been broken between two people, with lots of anger and hurt to follow.
We can help you work out whether you wish to continue together or go separate ways, by learning about what led up to the affair and how to rebuild your relationship for a life worth living after the trauma.
Depression
You feel down and that life is no longer fulfilling
We all have times where we feel really low. This can be really unsettling, even if it isn’t technically “clinical depression”. We can feel like we have lost our direction and meaning, that things feel hopeless and will never change. We start being too hard on ourselves about when we make mistakes and this self criticism can completely deflate us.
Through depression treatment, we can help you feel that life is worth living again. We’ll find out what is important to you and help you rediscover the things you used to be passionate about.
Stress
You feel like you are about to break under the pressure
We all experience stress from time to time, and when we’re feeling in control of it, stress can even help us perform better. But when stress is preventing us from enjoying our life, then the pressure can even cause illness.
Through stress treatment, we can help you find your balance so that you can thrive and feel in control of your life again.
Constant arguments
You and your partner just can’t get along anymore
All relationships have ups and downs, that is natural. But when you feel like there is more arguing than not, and you don’t enjoy your time together any more, you might need help resolving some of your conflicts.
We can help you understand each other with compassion, and learn skills in effective communication to be able to make decisions together and rebuild a relationship which is also about thriving, not just surviving.
Loss of intimacy
You are no longer intimate together
There are several types of intimacy – emotional and physical. How much intimacy occurs in a relationship naturally goes up and down, and also is influenced by things like stress, illness and having children.
We can help you work through your intimacy issues through building a compassionate understanding for yourselves and each other, and being able to communicate about how intimacy can deepen your connection and enrich your lives.
Rejection
You feel that your partner doesn’t love you any more
Relationships naturally leave the passionate honeymoon phase after a little while. But if you feel that a deeper connection has not replaced the initial infatuation, then you might need help rekindling that spark and building a sense of ‘us’ instead of ‘you and me’.
We can help couples build a team spirit and make the relationship a priority, building a deeper connection and compassion for each other.
Low self-esteem
You feel like you’re never good enough
We all make mistakes sometimes, and might feel bad about who we are if we get criticised. But if you struggle to like or accept yourself when others don’t, you might need some help with your self-esteem.
We can help you build the confidence to step out of your comfort zone in reaching your goals, finding a relationship or going for a promotion at work, feeling okay with who you are.
Perfectionism
If it’s not perfect, you feel like you have failed
Striving for high standards or excellence is not a bad thing. But when we go after those standards even when it makes the rest of our life suffer, then we have a problem with perfectionism.
Our perfectionism therapy can help you dare to make mistakes and use failures as a way to grow and strive for excellence.
“My husband and I were able to communicate effectively as we had not done in months thanks to the way Michaela guided the conversations and to the comfortable ambiance she created for both of us.” L.A.
