Relationship Difficulties – Normal or Cause for Concern?

Relationships and their rewards and challenges occupy a lot of our time. How is it that some people somehow seem to have relationships that are easy and fulfilling and others constantly attract conflict, differences and unhappiness? Are people just incompatible or is there is a magic ingredient that allows social interactions to flow easily regardless of sometimes very different outlooks and quirks of the people involved?

When we refer to ‘Relationship’, our culture has taught us to consider a personal, intimate connection (with all its personal and social expectations) to be what we are talking about. However, we are all ‘relating’ all the time – with others and ourselves. By putting aside – if only a moment – the social and cultural expectations of this thing called ‘Relationship’ we can examine our own beliefs and values of what they entail. Many of us blame our partners (and others we relate to) with claims of ‘In a relationship, you shouldn’t do this!’ or ‘A good partner would do …..!’ When we do this, we ignore the uniqueness of others and our interactions and narrow our expectations to what we believe others and ourselves ‘should, ought or must’ do.

If you are facing relationship difficulties, I encourage you to expand how you look at yourself and your partner. Relationship counseling can help you both identify what is important to you – beyond social expectation – and keep the uniqueness in your relationship. Maybe your relationship conflicts exists more because of unquestioned expectations of what you should be doing, rather than communicating about what you want to relate like.

Similar Posts:

• Relationship Problems – What are your expectations?
• Relationship Counselling – Helping Couples Communicate Better
• CBT and Relationship Counselling
• Relationship Difficulties – Breakdown or Breakthrough?
• Toxic Relationships – Doomed or Redeemable?
• Marriage counselling in a time of stress

1 Comment

Other Links to this Post

1. Latest relationship difficulties news – Relationship Difficulties – How Couples Counselling can Help — March 31, 2010 @ 5:47 am

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment