Relationship Difficulties
Sometimes what causes people the most distress are those relationships that are most important to us, i.e. spouse, child, parent. When difficulties arise, they tend to snowball or get worse over time. The competent, caring psychologists at PC&A can work with you to improve interpersonal communication skills, improve coping skills, and improve insight.
Relationship with significant other – Whether it is a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife, these relationships tend to be the center-point in many individuals’ lives. When arguing/fighting starts occurring frequently or you become emotionally detached from your partner, it is time for intervention if the relationship is repairable. The competent, caring psychologists at PC&A can work with couples or individuals to improve communication patterns, reduce anger/resentment, and improve the quality of the relationship.
Parent – Child relationship – The parent–child relationship is a difficult one to maneuver at various stages of development. Conflicting thoughts can occur because the same relationship/bond from which you derive feelings of joy, pride, and love at one point can then cause negative feelings like anger, dislike, and frustration. Both parent and child can experience feelings of distress within a conflictual relationship. Sometimes the parent is the recipient of displaced negative emotion, i.e. child being bullied at school, social conflict with peers, etc. PC&A psychologists have extensive experience in working with children, adolescents, and parents to improve communication, reduce maladaptive behavior, and improve overall quality of the relationship. Improving motivation in the child and boosting self-confidence helps the child reach their potential, which eases some parental concerns as well.
Adult children and the relationship with aging parents can also be a source of distress. When the parent-child relationship starts to shift, i.e. child caring for parent, this can cause extraordinary distress for both. The aging parent is experiencing the loss of function and independence. The adult child feels the burden of taking responsibility for their parent. PC&A staff understand this difficult transition and the distress that can result. In addition to serving as a support, we can assist in developing coping strategies and problem solving skills to lessen the impact of these major changes.