All relationships face challenges. Day-to-day pressures such as work, parenting, finances, or health can place strain on even strong partnerships. Occasional disagreements are normal, but when conflict becomes frequent, intense, or unresolved, it can start to feel exhausting and distressing.
For some couples, the issue is not conflict but distance. You may notice that communication has reduced, emotional or physical intimacy has faded, or that you feel more like co-parents or housemates than partners. Often this happens gradually, until one day it becomes impossible to ignore.
Relationship problems rarely affect just the two people involved. Tension can spill into wider family life, friendships, and work. Where children are involved, ongoing conflict or uncertainty can be particularly unsettling for everyone.
You may feel stuck, unsure how to talk to each other without things escalating, or worried about where the relationship is heading. Some couples seek support because they want to repair and strengthen their relationship, while others want help navigating a difficult period with more understanding and care.
Couples therapy offers a neutral, non-judgmental space where both partners can be heard.
A qualified couples therapist helps you explore what is happening beneath the surface of arguments or disconnection, how patterns have developed over time, and how each of you is affected. Therapy focuses on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and finding ways to move forward that feel manageable for both of you.
Couples attend therapy at many different stages, from early concerns to long-standing difficulties. There is no requirement to be “in crisis” to seek support.
Sometimes couples attend therapy having already decided that separation is the right step. Therapy can still be valuable in helping you navigate this process with greater clarity, care, and respect, particularly where children are involved.
Support at this stage can help reduce conflict, support healthier communication, and create a steadier transition for everyone affected.
Families and relationships come in many forms. Couples therapy is not limited to heterosexual or traditional family structures. Whatever your relationship or family setup, therapy can offer support with the challenges you are facing.
For more information about couples therapy, please contact Lorna Kennedy, an experienced couples and family therapist working from Victoria Therapy Centre in Saltaire.
Email: lornakennedy@hotmail.co.uk
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