A 5-Step Guide to Overcoming Relationship Distress
The majority of time, women come to therapy because they are struggling in their relationship. They’ve got relationship issues in which they often feel unwanted, doubtful, and invalidated. They don't know how to communicate effectively and their partner struggles to connect emotionally.
Read more on Why Are My Relationships so Stressful?
Can you relate? So WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS?
You and your partner have the power and choice to invest in the connection you share! Intimacy is not only sexual. It is intellectual and emotional as well. You each have the power to bring more positivity to the relationship by engaging in rituals of connection as demonstrated in this guide.
Ritual of Acknowledgment DONE WITH YOUR PARTNER
Start by taking some time with your partner to discuss what went well in the past week. Acknowledge your partner for things you saw they did that made you happy or feel loved. Get specific about what communication patterns, actions, or words your partner did or said and what positive feeling you had because of them! Once you've both done that, acknowledge what could have gone better, taking turns taking responsibility for your part in it. Maybe it was the need to spend more time together. What could you have done differently? What did you need from your partner?
Ritual of Emotional Support DONE WITH YOUR PARTNER
If you haven't done so already, take this Quiz for Singles or Quiz for Couples to discover how you give and receive love. Have your partner do the same. Then communicate to your partner how you need to be emotionally supported this week. "I need words of affirmation to get me through my work week." "I need more cuddle time to regulate my emotions better."
Ritual of Self-Connection DONE WITH YOURSELF
Spend some time getting in touch with your own individual needs through things like journaling. If you are not taking care of yourself, it's hard to contribute to the relationship. Then, communicate your individual needs to your partner. I need a night out with my girlfriends. I need to go to bed earlier to cut down on fatigue. I need to do Yoga 3 times this week to help me emotionally regulate better. Then ask your partner to hold you accountable! (You can also purchase a journal for cheep on Amazon.)
Ritual of Communicating Partnership Needs DONE WITH YOUR PARTNER
What do you need as a couple? Communicate those to one another: We need more quality time together this week. We need a date night this week. We need less time together and more time spent alone. Now make action steps to meet those goals.
Ritual of Finding Inner Qualities DONE WITH YOUR PARTNER
You and your partner write down all the things that you love about each other. But the catch is, try NOT to write about anything that your partner gives or provides for you. Instead, acknowledge the inner qualities you love about them. Then once you are both done, you text/share them to each other at the same time!
The goals are to validate all the good qualities you maintain as individuals and state how those qualities help to empower each other! Discover how you influence one another in a positive, healthy way by simply being in each other's presence. It is a chance to be a witness, absorbing all the good you have to offer one another by simply being who you are!
We offer affordable remote, online mental health counseling services so you can access care from the comfort of your home. We provide therapy to Palm Beach County and surrounding areas including West Palm Beach, Miami, Orlando, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Loxahatchee, Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach, and Pompano Beach.
Our services include Counseling, Mental Health, Therapy, Psychotherapy, Psychologist, Insurance in the following areas: Women, Men, Family, Marriage, Teens/Adolescents, Relationships, and Couples
