A difficulty experienced by some couples seeking therapy is a sense of being disconnected from one another. Where intimate partner communication becomes problematic.
Couples may experience practical fulfillment in their relationships where their partner does what is expected in their relationship such as fetching the kids, going to work, making supper, among other roles. In this you may feel quite proud of your spouse and look up to them for the roles they fulfill for instance: how amazing they are at parenting the kids, admiring them in certain respects or that they are a great provider. Other may feel that this is the role they play and their partner is quite absent, so even though in a relationship, you may feel alone or lonely.
What is often missing is the sense of emotional contact, where maybe you have had had some really good times over the years but as time goes by you experience the relationship to be more like roommates than partners. There may be little to zero romance, no sexual intimacy, no physical contact, no hugging and no kissing. When you are home, you don’t really talk or spend time together and the only time you do is about practical arrangements or about the kids. With some couples trying to start conversations or initiate romance turns into a conflict or simply a stalemate. For partners this becomes really draining, especially if you are craving a closer and more fulfilling relationship.
Couples therapy can help re-build the relationship between partners and help to address the unfinished business developed over the years. Often these difficulties are linked to breakdowns in communication and as part of couple’s therapy this can be addressed.
