Rachel Lindsay, this season’s “Bachelorette”, recently shared on the show how she attended Relationship Counseling for a year after experiencing some romantic relationships that left her feeling hurt. Surprisingly, one of the bachelors vying for her love also admitted he attended counseling as well. So, what is Relationship Counseling?
According to Ethos Healthcare, The World of Good Health, “Relationship Counseling is the process of counseling the parties of a relationship in an effort to better recognize and better manage or reconcile troublesome differences and repeating patterns… To make relationships more successful”. (https://ethoshealthcare.com/therapies/benefits-of-relationship-counseling/)
This type of counseling looks specifically at what events in one’s life affect the way relationships are viewed. For example, where do little girls get the idea that their wedding has to be a big event? Many will respond to these questions by recalling an event they attended as a little child, or have heard from family members, storybooks or mass media. The child then develops expectations, that might be realistic or unrealistic, and the search to fulfill those expectations begin.
Topics typically discussed: characteristics one is seeking in a partner, family expectations and pressure, peer expectations and pressure, “biological clock ticking?”, how self-sabotage can happen without realizing it, reconciling with the past, and allowing risks for the future, among many other topics.
Good counseling, by a licensed professional, is most successful when consistent and interactive. All counseling is confidential and provides a safe place to openly discuss your goals and objectives. Counseling is an effective form of treatment–it is well-researched and empirically proven.
