More genuine presence in relationships

Relationships

What clients would like to have help with varies concerning relationships. It can be about problems in current relationships (partner, children, at leisure and work). Other reasons to seek therapy are recurrent patterns of withdrawing from relationships and avoid closeness or there might be patterns of over-adapting to others’ expectations. There might also be a mix of these patterns in a person’s relationships.

Another reason for therapy is that one gets angry or miscontent in relationships, and then push people away. Others seek therapy because they do not withdraw from relationships that negatively affect their well-being.

The client and I usually work with an ISTDP approach with focus on relational and emotional processes. Other times we work based on a combination of ISTDP and a cognitive approach. Any ISTDP therapy involves the two approaches but they can be more or less emphasized. How the client and I work depends on what changes the client wishes to do and what is needed for the changes to take place.