Counselling Services
Relationship
Counselling
Get to know your true self and learn new ways of relating to yourself and others
Healing always begins with yourself. To heal relationships within an increasingly fractured and isolating society we have to look at our-selves and the world around us from a new perspective.
Whether you experience conflict with a partner, friend, family member, work colleague or within yourself, the first step to healing is to re-evaluate your own truth, change existing patterns of (self) judgement and learn how to let go of old hurts and socialized ways of relating to yourself and the ‘other’.
It will be helpful to understand your (unconscious) beliefs around what success, relationships and love mean to you. Looking at your socialization into concepts such as gender, race, class and social norms can be helpful in this context so you can decide for yourself what holds true for you and what you want to let go of.
As you share your areas of hurt, doubt, weakness and vulnerability with someone you feel safe with, who walks this path with you and at times holds up a mirror for you with kindness and compassion you will be able to be more accepting and loving towards yourself and others.
I mainly work with people experiencing conflict in so called diverse relationships—be it as parents, intimate partners, friends or colleagues who seek support navigating dynamics that occur when our ‘normative’ worldviews are shifting.
Even if not everyone involved is willing or able to show up in this space, we can still work together on recognizing and developing strategies and tools to strengthen these important relationships in your life.
In my experience with couples counselling, it can be helpful to work with both partners individually before starting joint sessions. This allows us a clear and nuanced (self) understanding and (self) expression without having to navigate habitual relationship dynamics and patterns of communicating that can keep us stuck for longer than necessary. Usually when clients begin to understand and express their own truth, boundaries, limitations and needs it clears the way for a more honest and direct communication in the relationship.
As we shift worldviews towards embracing ourselves and others within relationships of differing cultural, racial and social backgrounds, we can often feel lost and in conflict not only with those around us but with our self, the person we used to be or the person we think we should be.
We all have been taught to think, act and relate in a certain way within socially constructed concepts of race, gender and class, which for many of us seem ‘normal’ and remain unquestioned throughout the course of our lives. Doubt, conflict or even a sense of ‘there is something wrong with me (or the other person)’ is a common experience for those who find themselves navigating spaces outside of what is considered the ‘norm’.
While love is essential and knows no bounds, love is not all that matters when navigating the complexities of relationships with differing racial backgrounds, value systems social norms and gender identities.
Apart from questioning and educating ourselves, we have to learn how to balance what is true for us with what may be true for our partner/child/friend/colleague in a way that allows us to learn and grow together rather than alienate and divide us further. I am here to support you through this process, to give you a safe space to doubt, question, vent, feel and think so you can re-connect with your own wisdom and find healing for yourself and your relationships.
Ready to find your path?
I offer a 30 min free consultation to everybody before we start our sessions so we can get to know each other and find out if we are a good fit.