I see couples who have come to an impasse. There may be challenges in communicating individual preferences or negotiating differences. Conversations regarding differences may trigger defensiveness or blame, rather than allowing openness to listening and willingness to negotiate. This is where the impasse occurs and distance is created.
With effort and intention communication skills can be learned and the impasse will soften. In couples therapy we work on how to communicate feelings on one side, and how to listen and respond on the other side. In the process it is likely we will discover histories that contribute to the current challenges and learn how to consider and respond to those histories with compassion.
