Relationship Problems

Therapy To Address
Relationship Problems In Berkeley

Do you find yourself struggling to make good, solid, satisfying relationships? Perhaps you are having trouble finding a suitable partner, or you may be unhappy with your significant other. Perhaps you are not seeming to get along well with authority or others at work. Or maybe friendships seem difficult to come by or sustain.

Healthy relationships are probably the most important factor that leads to a fulfilling life. When we can feel loved and lovable and care deeply for others, our lives have more depth and meaning. When we get along with others in all situations we feel better about ourselves.

Many people suffer greatly by staying in unhealthy relationships that only bring distress and keep them from their best selves, or by avoiding connection altogether. These persistent problems not only impact our mental health but our physical health as well.

We learn about healthy relationships as we attach successfully to our parents, see them model good connections, and encourage us to find gratifying relations outside the family. Perhaps you were less fortunate in this regard.

When your relationships are suffering or are non-existent, it is best to reach out to a relational psychotherapist such as Dr. Lynn Winsten for help. Fortunately we can rework our way of being with others. We learn from our newly acquired connection to the therapist how this plays out. We get to see what works and what does not both with ourselves and with the behaviors of others. We get a chance to rework our patterns of relating under the guidance of a supportive, knowledgable other.

Through understanding your current patterns of relating your therapist can help you see where things may have gone awry in your development. That is where we learn to relate and how we come to relate in our adult lives. Exploring these issues in a safe environment can heal your wounds, help you connect healthfully and help your life to become fulfilled.

We all need healthy and deep human connections in order to lead productive lives, and the connection with our partners is one of the most significant. It’s likely you will feel distressed, anxious, or lost if your relationship appears to be failing. Developing emotional understanding, learning how to cultivate and repair trust and intimacy, learning how to communicate effectively are all things we can accomplish together in treatment. I’m a firm believer that in order for relationships to thrive, we need to work on ourselves , which is why I focus on treating individuals experiencing relationship concerns.

Romantic Relationships

While in a romantic relationship, working on ourselves may include addressing anxiety through effective treatment methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. You may have consistent negative thoughts and worries about your current romantic relationship. These thoughts can affect your ability to be productive in your own life and create a roadblock in your romantic partnership.

We can also address if you feel the need to avoid romantic relationships altogether. This avoidance may stem from a traumatic occurrence in your past or a consistent string of disappointing romantic connections. These letdowns may have caused you to build a wall between yourself and your potential partner to avoid getting hurt.

Dodging relationships can help you avoid relationship problems and make you feel less vulnerable, which is understandable. However, it can leave you feeling unfulfilled, especially if deep down we discover that you may like to explore a meaningful romantic connection.

Please note that a deep, romantic connection with another person can come with occasional problems and disagreements for those in romantic partnerships, which is normal.

However, if these problems have become a consistent pattern and you begin to resent your relationship, you should reach out to us to receive couples therapy or individual therapy. Continuing with this unhealthy pattern will only hurt your development as a person and as a couple.

Friendships

Healthy friendships are one of the keys to a fulfilled life, and for those living in Berkeley, a therapist can guide you towards discovering why they may be lacking. You may not have enough healthy friendships for several reasons. Perhaps you think an important friendship will drift away from you or are struggling to connect with new people.

A lack of healthy friendships can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression. Dr. Lynn Winsten is a trained psychologist in Berkeley who specializes in helping you work towards connecting with others through communication and other forms of healthy bonding.

Work Relationships

Life transitions, such as moving forward in your career or changing your career path entirely, can also impact your relationships. As a result, you may feel a strain on your romantic relationship, or other relationship problems can arise. Sometimes a new authoritative figure and unfamiliar colleagues can cause anxiety.

Dr. Lynn Winsten in Berkeley can provide you with the tools to form cordial and healthy relationships in your work environment. The goal is for you to feel as comfortable as possible while thriving in your career. Together, we can work towards unravelling why you are experiencing apprehensive and uneasy feelings at work.

Relationships With Parents

Do you have a negative relationship with one or both of your parents? Perhaps you blame yourself for the lack of communication, or you are holding onto resentment towards a parent who has wronged you. Dr. Winsten can work with you to unwind your history with your parents so you can mend a broken relationship, if it’s in your best interest.

Alternatively, letting go of an unhealthy relationship with a parent may be what you need. You may also struggle with abandonment issues and anxiety because of a parent who has left you when you were a child. Contact us if this sounds like you, and we can get through this together.

Lynn Winsten offers individual psychotherapy and couples therapy for people struggling with relationship problems in Berkeley and surrounding areas.

No matter what type of relationship problems you’re facing, you can contact us to make an appointment today. Having strained or tense relationships and a lack of healthy relationships can severely hinder your growth as a person. It can also lead to depression and intrusive feelings of anxiety, regret and loneliness.

I am here for you. Your relationship with me as your therapist will gradually lead to cultivating healthy relationships in your personal life. It can be a long process to eliminate unhealthy relationships and discover relationships that will improve your life, but we can get there together.