Understanding the different stages of grieving after a breakup: from denial to acceptance.
The young man in my consulting room was visibly trying not to cry. I could see the physical effort that was required to stop him from coiling up on the floor and sobbing his heart out. Ethan had just started therapy following a devastating heartbreak. His girlfriend of 3 years, Sandra, had left him. Ethan had no idea that Sandra was so unhappy in the relationship. There had been difficult moments, yes, but he did not see this coming.
Breaking up in a relationship is a life event that we have all experienced but rather would have been spared. It…
Do you know what hopes and dreams you have? Do you get frustrated with your partner if they don’t live up to your expectation? Paying attention to your own needs helps you understand your partner better.
Martin and Janice arrived for our third couples therapy session with flushed faces. On the way to the session they had been arguing in the car. Janice was very clear who was to blame: ‘If you didn’t always react so aggressively, we wouldn’t be sitting here’. Martin looked resigned. ‘You used to tell me that I was the kindest man you ever met. Now I can’t say anything without you feeling attacked. Do you realise that you are always angry?’
When trouble hits a relationship, most partners tend to point the finger the other way blaming any stress in the…
You will both have different expectations of relationships. Sometimes this can create difficulties. Learn to understand how your relational styles combine.
When Jeff and Marion first came to see me for couples therapy, Jeff was at his wits’ end. “However much I try to get closer to Marion, she just won’t have it. I feel she is constantly pushing me away.” Marion sat in stony silence. I could practically feel her discomfort. Eventually she said: “He needs attention all the time — he just never gets enough.” The couple engaged in a constant dance of Jeff’s advancements and Marion’s attempts at distancing herself. …
We were born to bond. And understand that can help.
Loneliness can be one of the most debilitating experiences for us. It can lead to depression and anxiety and a whole host of other mental health presentations.
From the moment that infants are born they are hardwired to relate to other human beings. We are born to bond. Our very survival depends on it. New-born babies come into the world with instinctual behaviours like the rooting instinct which enable them to locate mum’s breast. The newly born infant attaches to the primary caregiver in a very special emotional interplay. Babies can recognise human faces and within weeks of coming into…
Both you and your partner will change in a relationship. And that is OK.
You are not the same anymore
Jane sighed deeply, arms folded. Again she was exasperated with Martin: “‘How many times have I told you that I hate it when you constantly check on me. I want to be able to meet up with my friends without always having to check with you.”
Jane and Martin had been together for two years when they came to see me in my therapy practice. Both felt that the other wasn’t really present anymore. Their initial courting had been very fiery and Jane felt for the first time ever that she had truly met…
Addressing shame needs deep understanding, gentleness, compassion, and empathy.
“Soul, if you want to learn secrets, your heart must forget about shame” -Rumi
Shame is one of the most underrated while simultaneously omnipresent and corrosive emotional experiences in life. We may not even be aware that what we are experiencing is related to shame. Shame has many disguises — it may present itself as anxiety, as low mood and depression, as low self-esteem or self-worth, or as loneliness. Shame is frequently the underlying experience for many clients who seek therapy.
The origins of the words ‘shame’ and ‘guilt’
Shame is a deep-seated feeling of evaluating yourself as being somehow…
Are you in control of your intelligence?
What is your thinking about intelligence and your abilities? Is it nature or nurture? Do you think of your intelligence as something that you are born with and that you can’t do much to change? Or do you think that you are in control of changing your intelligence, your capacity for learning or your abilities considerably if you want to?
Depending on your response to these questions you are likely to display a very different set of behaviours and ways of thinking about the world: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Mindsets are meaning systems that help us to…
Knowing how to listen to your partner will change the way you resolve conflict.
Shouting into a black hole
Natasha raised her voice bar by bar: “I told you a hundred times already — I do not want to spend my holidays with your sisters again. They are toxic and I won’t waste my time on them anymore!” Michael stared out of the window — his face expressionless, his body rigid.
The couple had started couple therapy three months ago on the verge of ending their 10-year-old marriage once and for all. They were both worn out by their constant arguments that resolved nothing.
Most of the time when you are arguing with your…
Angela Dierks
Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Couple Therapist, Clinical Supervisor and University Lecturer, MSc Counselling and Coaching, London— therelationshipmaze.com
