top of page
6 people cheering in front of a sunset

Interpersonal Relationships

Do you feel that your relationships with others are difficult or often filled with tension and frustration?

​

Do you recognise a fear of rejection or abandonment within yourself, which prevents you from connecting with others?

​

Do you repeat relationship patterns?

Interpersonal relationships involve connecting with others, whether they are family, friendships, work-related, or romantic. When we have healthy relationships, we feel support, understanding, and connection with others, and these relationships are a key part of our well-being. However, for many people, relationships are full of challenges, with emotional conflicts or disappointments.

​

Common difficulties:

​

  • Frequent conflicts or misunderstandings that are not easily resolved

  • Difficulty forming new interpersonal relationships, whether friendly or romantic

  • Difficulty expressing our emotions or understanding the emotions of others

  • Fear of rejection or abandonment that affects our behaviour

  • Fear or anxiety about commitment

  • Jealousy or intense comparison with others in social or professional relationships

  • Feelings of isolation or inability to form real, healthy connections

  • Contradictions between the desire for connection and the need for distance or protection from emotional pain

  • Difficulty trusting others

  • Vicious cycle of abusive behaviour

  • Excessive dependence or excessive independence (avoiding emotional closeness)

  • Lack of understanding and communication of personal needs

  • Difficulty forgiving and accepting

  • Difficulty saying "no" when we don’t want to do something or something doesn’t feel right

  • Inability to prioritise ourselves and our needs

  • Difficulty interacting with authority figures

 

Difficulties in interpersonal relationships can arise from many factors, such as previous traumatic experiences that shape the way we perceive and interact with others, internalised fears, relationship patterns within the family and broader social environment, identity formation, personality temperament factors, and difficulty in setting and creating healthy boundaries.

​

How can psychotherapy help?

Understanding and processing the interpersonal difficulties you face in your daily life can be done in a safe therapeutic framework and environment, which will help you recognise how you interact with others. Through therapy, you will be able to delve into the motivations and fears that influence your behaviour and relationships. In the therapeutic setting, you will:

​

  • Examine your needs and expectations from your relationships, understanding what you are truly seeking and how this shapes your interactions with others.

  • Delve into conflicting emotions or desires you may have regarding commitment, recognising the internal contradictions that affect your relationships.

  • Clarify the fears related to developing intimacy, such as the fear of dependence or disappointment, and recognise why you may avoid full emotional connection with others.

  • Explore how to balance your desire for companionship with your need for autonomy.

  • Identify patterns that influence your choice of partners or friends and understand the motivations behind your choices, so that you can create healthier relationships in the future.

  • Analyse the image you have of yourself and how it affects your approach to relationships.

  • Work to strengthen your relationship with yourself by recognising your values and strengths, so that you can create more positive and strong connections with others.

  • Build more realistic criteria for choosing the people around you, without being influenced by negative patterns or expectations that may limit you.

  • Address feelings of sadness or loss and process the grieving process, drawing strength and support from psychotherapy.

  • Develop communication skills, boundary-setting abilities, and assertive behaviour, so that you can express your needs.

  • Explore and reframe negative thoughts that create anxiety or insecurity in your relationships.

bottom of page