Couples can benefit from counselling at all stages of their relationship. At the early stages of the relationship it can be really beneficial to address each person’s core needs and identify any areas of difference. This can ensure that you are entering a relationship openly aware of areas of potential difficulties. As the relationship progresses counselling can help you find ways to identify and constructively work on conflicts.
I offer counselling to all couples irrespective of sexual orientation and marital status.
Issues that commonly bring people to counselling are:
- Sexual differences and challenges
- Preparation for marriage
- Infidelity
- Family expectations
- Challenges of being new parents
- Feeling disconnected/isolated
- Frequent arguments
- Children leaving home
- Differing needs
- Use of pornography
- Significant life events
This is not an exhaustive list.
My Approach
I have trained initially in a Gestalt model of relationship therapy and integrated this with a developmental approach. This identifies that most often the difficulty between couples arises out of how they negotiate differences, not what their differences are. The approach embraces the need for each person in the relationship to be individual as well as being part of a couple. The approach encourages each person in the relationship to take responsibility for their part of the relationship and to look at differences and struggles as belonging to both parties, not as one party being to blame.
The aim of couples counselling is to develop awareness of how difficulties are arising and how they are impacting the relationship. Awareness of the core of the issues allows exploration of alternative, more effective approaches.
The key tasks of couples therapy are increasing your clarity about:
- The kind of life you want to build together
- The kind of partner you aspire to be in order to build the kind of life and relationship you want to create
- Your individual blocks to becoming the kind of partner you aspire to be
- The skills and knowledge necessary to do the above tasks
Click here for more information about what is involved in the couples therapy process.
Next Steps
If you would like to make an appointment with me please email me at mail@karenmurphy.ie.
Karen Murphy
Turners Cross
Cork City
Email: mail@karenmurphy.ie