Relationship Difficulties — Psychologist in Fremantle
What brings people here
Relationship difficulties show up in many different ways. Some people come having just separated or in the middle of a relationship falling apart. Others have been caught in the same patterns with partners, family members, or colleagues for years and cannot work out how to change them. Some are single and struggling with the same difficulties repeating across different relationships.
Common themes include:
Conflict that escalates quickly or goes in circles Feeling emotionally disconnected from a partner or loved one.
Trust that has been broken — through infidelity, betrayal, or repeated disappointments.
Difficulty with intimacy, vulnerability, or closeness.
Communication that breaks down under stress.
Patterns of shutting down or becoming overwhelmed in conflict.
Struggling after separation, divorce, or loss.
Difficulty setting or holding boundaries in relationships Feeling like you attract the same type of relationship or repeat the same dynamic
Working with relationship difficulties individually
Understanding your own patterns in relationships is some of the most valuable work you can do in therapy. What we do in relationships tends to have roots in much earlier experiences — in what was modelled for us growing up, what we learned about safety and closeness, and what we came to believe about ourselves and what we deserve.
Using Schema Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy, I help people understand the patterns they bring to relationships, where those patterns came from, and how to begin shifting them. This is meaningful work that takes time, but it produces durable change.
I also work with individuals on specific relationship concerns — a current conflict, a difficult family dynamic, adjusting to separation — using more focused approaches where that is what is needed.
Couples therapy
I also work with couples. See the Couples Therapy page for more detail.
Medicare, NDIS, and DVA
Individual psychology sessions for relationship difficulties are covered under Medicare's Better Access initiative (with a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP) and DVA. Please note that couples therapy sessions are not Medicare-rebatable — see the Fees and Rebates page for full information.
0468 310 853 | admin@ftpc.com.au