Coping with Pregnancy Loss

It is a little known fact that approximately 10-20% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage.

The actual number might be even higher because most miscarriages occur early in the pregnancy and many women don't even realize they had a miscarriage. 

Coping With Pregnancy Loss

Some of these women don't even realize they were pregnant before they had a miscarriage.

Coping With Pregnancy Loss

The sense of loss for women and their partners can be profound and isolating because, unlike other losses, there are no funerals or rituals to process this loss with their loved ones. 

In addition, family and friends are often not emotionally supportive. 

Coping With Pregnancy Loss

Some loved ones can be emotionally invalidating by brushing off the loss and telling the woman and her partner, "Oh, you can just try again" as if there was no loss at all involved with the miscarriage.

Aside from feeling the sadness of the loss, many women also feel ashamed and guilty because they believe they did something to cause the loss--even when it's objectively clear that they didn't.

Many loved ones believe a miscarriage is no loss at all because they believe there wasn't enough time for the woman to develop an emotional attachment. But this negates the fact that the woman and her partner had a dream of having a child and now that dream is lost.

Difficulty Grieving Pregnancy Loss

Many women and their partners never grieve for pregnancy loss, but the trauma of the miscarriage lives within them and between them.

Coping With Pregnancy Loss

The lack of rituals to grieve the loss with loved ones often leads the woman and her partner to suppress their emotions about the loss so they can "move on" and try to get pregnant again.

What Are the Possible Consequences of Not Grieving a Pregnancy Loss?

Failing to process the loss can result in physical, emotional and relationship difficulties:

Physical symptoms might include:

• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbance
• Change in appetite (either under-eating or over-eating)
• Physical discomfort

Emotional symptoms might include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Guilt
• Shame
• Complicated grief where the grief becomes prolonged and intense
• Isolation due to avoiding the judgment of others

Relationship difficulties might include:

• Difficulty communicating about their feelings about the miscarriage including fear of talking about the loss
• Problems being sexual with each other after the loss
• A higher risk of a breakup as compared to couples who experience a live birth

How to Cope With Pregnancy Loss

• Be Emotionally Supportive of Each Other: Even though you and your partner might not feel the same way about the pregnancy loss, be supportive of each other.

• Get Emotional Support From Loved Ones Who Understand: You want to confide in people who will be supportive and who will not make you feel emotionally invalidated. Anyone who would be likely to dismiss your feelings by saying, "Just move on and try to get pregnant again" isn't the right person to confide in.

• Grieve the Loss of the Pregnancy and Your Dream of Having a Baby At That Point in Your Life: Grieve in any way that is meaningful to you. Each of you might have different ways of grieving. Respect that. There is no one "right way" to grieve a pregnancy loss.

• Get Help in Therapy: Get help in couples therapy with a supportive therapist who helps clients with grief, especially grief related to a miscarriage. If your partner refuses to go, at first, start going yourself and your partner might join you in time.

Seeking Help in Therapy For Pregnancy Loss

You and your partner might not be ready to seek help in therapy immediately after the pregnancy loss, but don't struggle too long with your loss by yourselves.

Seeking Help in Therapy For Pregnancy Loss

A compassionate psychotherapist who has experience helping clients with loss can help you to grieve your loss so you don't develop the physical, emotional and relational problems mentioned above.

Rather than struggling on your own, seek help from a licensed mental health professional has the expertise to help you to work through your loss.

Also See My Article:

How to Cope With Pregnancy Loss When You and Your Partner Have Different Feelings

About Me

I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT (for couples), Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.

I have helped many individual adults and couples to overcome grief.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

How to Become a Better Partner in Your Relationship

If you're in a long term relationship, it's easy to forget what you need to do to be a good partner.  Even though it might not be your intention, you could stop doing the necessary things to sustain your relationship. 

How to Become a Better Partner in a Relationship

If you're not currently in a relationship but you would like to be in one, developing your relationship skills will help you to find a compatible partner.

Tips on How to Be a Better Partner in a Relationship

• Be Honest: Honesty is a trait that most people mention when asked what they value in a partner.  This means when you meet someone who is a potential partner that you're honest and upfront about what you're looking for so no one feels they are wasting their time. If you're looking to date casually, say so.  If you want to be in a relationship, say that.  Too many people hesitate to say what they really want in the beginning and this causes problems later on.  Honesty can come with tact and empathy for the other person, but it's better to be upfront about your needs.  Once you're in a relationship, take time every so often to talk about how things are going.  By communicating in this way, you get to address small problems before they become big ones (see my article: Be Honest With Your Partner).

• Be Trustworthy and Keep Your Promises: Along with being honest, being trustworthy and keeping your promises is another trait that many people mention when they talk about traits in a partner they want. Have integrity (see my article: Keep Your Promises).

• Be a Good Listener: Many people who are in a relationship are so eager for their chance to be able to say what they want that they don't listen to their partner. If you're unclear about anything your partner is saying, ask for clarification.  

• Practice Responding Instead of Reacting: Relationships take work and can be stressful at times.  Taking a moment or two to respond can keep a disagreement from becoming a big argument (see my article: Responding Instead of Reacting).

How to Become a Better Partner in a Relationship

• Practice Self Validation: Being attuned to your own needs is important when you're in a relationship, especially if you have a tendency to put other people's needs ahead of your own.  Although you're in a relationship, you also need to validate yourself as an individual (see my article: What is Self Validation?).

• Grow as an Individual: Many people lose their sense of individuality once they have entered into a relationship.  Rather than becoming fused with your partner, maintain your friendships, interests and explore areas where you want to grow (see my articles: Losing Yourself in a Relationship, Resist the Urge to Merge and Growing as an Individual While You're in a Relationship).

• Practice Validating Your Partner: Emotional validation is seeing, understanding, respecting and accepting your partner's emotional experience--even if you don't agee with the content of what they are saying (see my articles: What is Emotional Validation and Why Is It Such a Powerful Relationship Skill? and How to Use Emotional Validation Skills With Your Partner).

• Spend Quality Time Together: Although it can be difficult to find the time, you and your partner need to spend quality time together--just the two of you (see my articles: Creating Special Times Together in a Relationship and Spending Time Together vs Time Apart).

• Develop an Understanding of Your Attachment Style and How It Affects Your Relationship: (see my articles:  What is Your Attachment Style? and How Your Attachment Style Affects Your Relationship).

• Express Gratitude to Your Partner: (see my article: The Importance of Expressing Gratitude to Your Partner).

How to Become a Better Partner in a Relationship

• Set Relationship Goals (see my article: 10 Relationship Goals to Create a Stronger Relationship).

• Talk to Your Partner About Sex: Many people don't feel comfortable or don't know how to talk about sex with their partner.  Sex in a relationship can change over time both physically and emotionally, so it's important to know how to talk about sex (see my articles: How to Talk to Your Partner About Sex, Sexual Compatibility Can Develop and Evolve Over Time and What is Good Sex?).

• Talk to Your Partner About Money Before You Live Together: Aside from sex, money is another topic that many couples don't feel comfortable talking about. But this is such an important topic that it shouldn't be neglected (see my articles: Talk About Money Before You Get Married or Live Together and Financial Infidelity is a Major Issue in Many Relationships).

Conclusion

Whether you're in a long term relationship, just starting a relationship or you want to be in a relationship at some point, developing the necessary skills to be a good partner is important to developing and sustaining your relationship.

Just like you develop any other skill, you can learn to be a better partner.

Getting Help in Therapy

Many people didn't grow up in a family where they saw good relationship skills modeled for them.

Whether you attend individual therapy to work on your own issues or couples therapy to deal with relationship issues, you can learn to overcome the obstacles that are keeping you stuck.

A skilled psychotherapist can help you to develop as an individual and as a partner so you can lead a more fulfilling life.

About Me

I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT, Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.

I am a sex positive therapist who works with adult individuals and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

Why Do People in Happy Relationships Cheat?

The common assumption is that people who cheat do it because they're unhappy in their relationship.  But according to an article by Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller, sex researcher and educator, as well as other relationship experts, many people who are happy in their relationship--including people are satisfied with the sex in their relationship--are committing infidelity (see my article: Coping With Infidelity).

Why Do People in Happy Relationships Cheat?

Why Do People in Happy Relationships Cheat?

On the surface, this doesn't seem to add up:  Why should people in a happy relationship cheat if they love their partner and they're satisfied with their sex life? 

Dr. Lehmiller's article discusses a research study by the Florida State University and Northwestern University which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology where 233 couples completed multiple surveys over a three and a half year period.  

According to Dr. Lehmiller, researchers were surprised to discover that the people who were happiest in their relationship were the ones who were most likely to cheat.  But why should this be?

Possible Theories as to Why People in a Happy Relationship Cheat (according to Dr. Lehmiller's article):

• People with the most positive attitudes towards sex are generally more interested in sex so they are most likely to cheat.  They place a high value on their sex life so that they have a strong need for sexual thrills, which is correlated with cheating.

• Researchers looked at whether or not there was a link between attractiveness and infidelity.  They found that, among women who were considered attractive, they were less likely to cheat.  But women who were considered less attractive were more likely to cheat.  For men, there seemed to be no correlation between their own attractiveness and cheating. But there was a link between how attractive they considered their partner.  Men were more likely to cheat if they considered their partner less attractive (see my article: Infidelity and the Need to Feel Desirable).

Other Theories as to Why People Cheat:

• Esther Perel, Ph.D., sex therapist and relationship expert, suggests that some people are going through a crisis of identity, which has nothing to do with their relationship.  Instead, it's related to their sense of self and a need for self discovery.  This is especially true during periods of transition, like a mid-life crisis (see: The State of Affairs by Dr. Perel).

• According to Dr. Perel, these people might want to see what it's like to break the rules for a change. In other words, transgression can be powerfully seductive (see my article: The Thrill of the Chase).

• Dr. Perel also indicates that people in committed relationships who cheat might also want to find out what it's like if they took a different path with a different partner.

• Dr. Perel also discovered in her work that many people want to feel a sense of aliveness and an affair makes them feel rejuvenated. 

• According to Dr. Arva Bensaheb (in Dr. Lehmiller's article) cheating is often a symptom of underlying anxiety for both men and women. Sex with other people temporarily relieves their anxiety, including an existential anxiety about death.  Under these circumstances, people in a happy relationship with a satisfying sex life would have problems remaining monogamous and would have multiple affairs as a maladaptive way to cope with anxiety.

Conclusion
People stray from their committed relationships for a variety of reasons.  Regardless of the reasons, the betrayal of infidelity can be devastating.  

In the midst of discovering the infidelity, the meaning of the infidelity can get lost due to grief and anger.  However, many couples salvage their relationship by working through these issues in individual and couples therapy.

Getting Help in Therapy

In the meantime, if you're tempted to stray, you can save yourself and your partner a lot of heartache by seeking help in therapy (see my article: Infidelity: How to Save Your Relationship After an Affair).

Working with a skilled therapist, you can discover the underlying reasons for your problem and make changes before you ruin your relationship.

If you're in a relationship where one or both of you have cheated, whether or not you decide to stay together,  you could benefit from seeking help from a licensed mental health professional who works with couples (see my article: After the Affair: Common Reactions to Infidelity).

About Me

I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT (for couples) and Somatic Experiencing therapist.

I work with individuals and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

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The 5 Stages of Love From Attraction to Commitment

Committed relationships usually go through five main stages from attraction to commitment.  Each stage has its own rewards and challenges (see my article: Is It Love or Infatuation?). 

The 5 Main Stages of Love From Attraction to Commitment

The 5 Main Stages of Love From Attraction to Commitment:

Many couples never make it passed Stage One or Two.  Other couples get stuck in one of the various stages prior to commitment for various reasons (to be discussed below). However, with commitment, patience and good communication, couples can make it to Stage 5 and beyond.

Here are the five main stages of love:

• Stage One: The Attraction Stage: Most couples in a dating relationship go through this stage. Typically, it lasts anywhere from a few months to two years.  This is the heady, fun time in a new relationship. It's the time in a relationship when you're head over heels about your partner. There's a lot of chemistry between you--so much so that you feel "high" from all those endorphins coursing through your body. During this stage, couples tend to focus on similarities and ignore differences and potential problems (some people don't just ignore these problems--they don't see them because they're so infatuated with their partner). It's also the time when you spend a lot of time fantasizing about their partner.  You also spend a lot of time together and tend to have a lot of sex.  Since you're focusing on similarities, you also tend to avoid conflict (see my article: 7 Signs Your Relationship is Based on Lust and Not Love).

• Stage Two: The Reality Stage: After the initial "getting to know you" stage where emotions, chemistry, and fantasies about your partner are prevalent, reality slowly begins to sink in. Rather than continuing to idealize your partner, you begin to see your partner and your relationship more realistically.  This is the stage where you see each other's flaws and the possible incompatibilities between the two of you.  The endorphins from Stage One tend to level off during this stage, and it can feel like a letdown. Whereas you ignored differences and potential problems during Stage One, now you see them and you might wonder how you missed them before. Many of the things you found endearing before might feel annoying now. This is often the stage when many relationships end for a variety of reasons, including: 

• There isn't enough substance to the relationship to keep it going.
• The couple discovers they're incompatible.
• One or both people want to continue to have heady romantic feelings so they seek out other partners to go through Stage One again, and so on (see my article: Falling In Love With the Fantasy and Not the Reality).
• And so on

• Stage Three: The Disappointment Stage: If you make it past Stage Two, you're likely to enter into the Disappointment Stage.  This is the stage where the two of you begin to argue. You might argue about big things or little things.  Before this, you and your partner probably managed to avoid arguing, especially during Stage One. If one or both of you are uncomfortable with arguing and see it as a negative thing, you might end the relationship. But arguing isn't inherently negative.  If you can communicate well with each other, it's possible that the two of you can work through your differences and the relationship could be stronger for it. 

• Stage Four: Stability Stage: If you can get through the disappointment of Stage Three, you can work towards having a more stable relationship. You might feel a little bored because you're no longer in that heady romantic stage, but having a more stable, mature, trusting relationship can be more gratifying and enhance your state of well-being. Not only have you accepted your own and your partner's flaws and differences and the inevitable arguments that occur from time to time, you now begin to see a long term future for your relationship. If you're unable to cope with the inevitable boredom that occurs at this stage, you might cheat in order to relieve your boredom and get "high" from a new attraction that's passionate (see my article: The Connection Between Infidelity and the Need to Feel Desirable).

The 5 Main Stages of Love From Attraction to Commitment

• Stage Five: The Commitment Stage: The two of you make a commitment to have a long-term relationship.  You both have a vision of your future together--whether this involves marriage or living together. If you make it to this stage, your relationship has reached a more mature, enduring phase. You can endure the occasional boredom because you know that what you have is a deeper kind of love as compared to the earlier stages.

• Beyond the Commitment Stage: If you choose to have children, you'll go through the Parenthood Stage with its own unique rewards and challenges. And if you continue to stay together, couples go through the Mature Love Stage where the children are living on their own independently, and you could be dealing with issues related to taking care of elderly parents.  

The Challenges of Navigating Through the Stages of Love

As previously mentioned, being aware of the Stages of Love can help you anticipate what you'll go through as a couple so you won't be surprised.

Many couples don't make it passed the first one or two stages.  Aside from the reasons mentioned above, some people lack the emotional maturity or they lack the desire for a committed relationship. 

For other couples, real and significant problems come up during the Reality Stage and they recognize that they're not really compatible or they want different things, so it makes sense to breakup.  But even couples who are willing to work towards a committed relationship can get stuck in one of the stages.

Getting Help in Therapy

If you and your partner are struggling in your relationship, you could benefit from working with an experienced psychotherapist who can help you work through your issues--whether you decide to stay together or not.

A skilled couples therapist can help you to understand your relationship dynamics so you can either work out your differences or to part amicably (see my article: What is Emotionally Focused Therapy For Couples).

Rather than struggling on your own, seek help from an experience therapist.

About Me

I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article:  The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Therapy).

I work with individuals and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 or email me.

Coping With An Ambivalent Partner: You Want a Committed Relationship, But Your Partner Isn't Sure

In my article, 7 Signs Your Relationship is Based on Lust and Not Love, I discussed the difference between relationships based primarily on sex and relationships based on love. In this article, I'm focusing on coping with an ambivalent partner when you know you want more of a committed relationship instead of a casual sexual relationship (see my article: Dating vs Being in a Relationship).

Coping With An Ambivalent Partner in a Relationship

You Want More of a Committed Relationship

Many people are just fine with having a casual sexual relationship, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as both people agree to this.  But if you have been dating someone you really like for several months on a casual basis and you want more of a committed relationship, you might be feeling anxious about bringing it up.

You're Not Sure When to Bring Up "The Talk" About Defining the Relationship

It can be tricky to know when to bring up defining your relationship.  You might be concerned that you're both enjoying each other's company so much that you might ruin things if you bring this up (see my article: Dating: When to Have "the Talk").

This can be tricky if you didn't bring up what you wanted when you first started dating.  It's even trickier if you were happy with a casual sexual relationship when you started dating but now you've developed deeper feelings for this person and you're not sure your partner feels the same way.

Feelings Change, People Change and Relationships Change

You might be concerned that the other person could say that you said one thing at the beginning--that you only wanted casual sex--and now you're saying something else--you want more of a commitment. But feelings change, people change and relationships change too.  So, it shouldn't be so surprising that one or both people in a casual sexual relationship might want something more.

I don't think most people would be surprised if, after several months of dating, you bring up having a committed relationship because casual sexual relationships don't usually last that long.  So, if you've been dating for several months, the relationship is either going to develop into something more serious and committed or it's probably going to fizzle out (for exceptions to this, keep reading below).

Be Honest With Yourself and Your Partner

It's important to start by being honest with yourself. Ask yourself if being in a committed relationship with the person you're dating is really what you want or are you wanting something more because you can't stand being alone and lonely? Are you going to be happy with this particular person in a committed relationship?  

Once you feel sure that you want the person you've been dating to be your committed partner, you need to be honest about your feelings and find out what your partner has in mind.  This conversation doesn't have to be an interrogation, but it's an important conversation to have and it's worth doing it with forethought and intention in a place that's quiet and where you'll have privacy to talk.

Listen and Accept What Your Partner Has to Say

If your partner feels the same way as you do, that's great--the two of you can talk about taking your relationship to the next level. For some couples, this happens naturally because it's clear that the relationship has been going in that direction.

When you and your partner want different things, this is harder to deal with. But, as hard as it might be, you need to listen to what your partner says and, ultimately, you need to accept it and make a decision for yourself about what you want to do.  Do you want to continue the casual sexual relationship or will you feel resentful that your partner isn't giving you what you want?

Don't Nag and Try to Bargain With Your Partner to Get More of a Commitment

If you and your partner aren't on the same page, nagging and bargaining doesn't work.  You can't force your partner into a committed relationship if it's not what s/he wants. 

This might seem obvious, but it's all too common that the person who wants more of a commitment tries to push the other partner into something s/he doesn't want.  Not only does it not work, but it often ruins whatever you currently have with this person and, more importantly, it makes you feel bad about yourself.

After the Talk: You Realize You're With a Reluctant/Ambivalent Partner in Terms of Commitment

Dealing with an ambivalent or reluctant partner is especially difficult. S/he isn't saying "yes" but s/he's not saying "no," so you're not getting a clear answer.  

This is where a lot of people, who want a commitment, get stuck and remain too long in the kind of relationship they don't want because they're hoping to get the ambivalent partner to change his or her mind.  Even when they realize they're not going to convince their partner, they find all kinds of rationalizations for remaining in the relationship that's not meeting their needs:

• "Well, at least the sex is good.  I might not find anyone else that I enjoy sex with as much."
• "The devil I know is better than the devil I don't know."
• "I'm too old to find anyone else, so I might as well remain with him/her" (for this one you can substitute "fat," "tall," "short" or any other description for "old"). 
• "Who else will want me? At least I know s/he finds me sexually desirable."
• "There are no good men (women) out there anyway, so I might as well remain in this relationship even if s/he's not meeting my emotional needs."
• "Maybe s/he will come around eventually if I wait long enough."

A partner who is reluctant or ambivalent might have many reasons for his or her mixed feelings--reasons that s/he might not know about because the reasons are unconscious.

Some people have a fear of making a commitment to anyone--whether it's you or anyone else, so their reluctance might not be about you in particular.  At the same time, you're affected by it, and it can be crazy making for you.

Although it might be hard to see, first, determine that you're not with someone who is stringing you along (see my article: Understanding the Underlying Emotional Dynamics of Men Who Are Players, although the title of this article is about men, women can also be players).

You don't need to be manipulated in this kind of relationship with someone who is so selfish and narcissistic (see my articles: Is Your Partner Breadcrumbing You?, A Relationship With a Narcissistic Partner Can Ruin Your Self Esteem, A Relationship With a Narcissistic Person: Where Did the Love Go? and Are You Being Gaslighted?).

Second, even if the person you're dating isn't manipulative and selfish, you need to figure out if you're with someone who will never make a real commitment to anyone because s/he wants to continue seeing other people.  Maybe the idea of being committed to one person makes him or her feel claustrophobic or bored.

Sometimes, the ambivalent/reluctant partner hasn't matured yet. S/he might be an adult in terms of chronological age, but s/he might be much younger in terms of maturity.  In other words, your partner might still have a lot of growing up to do regardless of whether s/he's 25, 35 or 45. And if that's the case, only you can decide if you're going to wait around to see if s/he matures into the kind of person who can make a commitment.

Another issue is that your partner might have attachment style issues, which are difficult to change if s/he isn't in therapy (see my articles: Understanding the Avoidant Attachment Style of Emotionally Unavailable People and How an Avoidant Attachment Style Affects You and Your Relationship).

Only you can decide how long you can deal with an ambivalent partner when you're not getting what you want.  After a while, you'll probably want to consider that no decision becomes a decision.  In other words, an "I don't know" becomes a "No" because it will likely become too painful for you to keep waiting for your partner to choose a commitment with you (see my article: When Indecision Becomes a Decision).

The ambivalent partner can also trigger in you feelings of being unworthy (see my article: Overcoming the Emotional Pain of Feeling Unlovable).

Aside from narcissistic or manipulative people, there are also people who just know they don't want to be in a committed relationship.  They're not pathological in any way.  They might be kind and wonderful people, but they just want something different from what you want. Still, this can be very painful for you because it's still a rejection of what you want and can feel like a rejection of you.

Maintain Your Autonomy and Don't Be Overly Dependent on Your Partner

While the two of you are deciding if you will take your casual relationship to the next level, maintain a sense of autonomy with your own friends and interests.  

If you're only focused on your relationship with your partner or you're overly dependent upon your partner to meet your needs (regardless of the status of your relationship), you're putting your entire sense of well-being in this person's hands.  

The healthiest relationships are ones where each person can maintain a degree of autonomy while also being able to share in the experience of the relationship.

Get Help in Therapy

If you're struggling with a difference between what you want and what your partner wants, you could benefit from the help of a skilled psychotherapist.

Life is short, and if you allow yourself to remain stuck for too long, you're going to feel increasingly unhappy and it will take longer for you to recover from this situation.

Rather than struggling on your own, seek help from a licensed mental health professional who can help you to overcome your problems so you can move on with your life.

About Me

I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Therapy).

I work with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

Emotionally Intimate Relationships Provide An Opportunity to Know Yourself in New Ways

People who are in new relationships are understandably focused on getting to know their partner, but being in a relationship also provides you with an opportunity to get to know yourself better--sometimes in unexpected ways.

Emotionally Intimate Relationships Provide An Opportunity to Get to Know Yourself in a New Way

Although there is always the potential to get to know yourself in all relationships, including friendships and work-related relationships, being in an emotionally intimate relationship brings up core emotional issues that you often don't discover in other relationships.  This is because you're at your most emotionally vulnerable when you're in a relationship that is emotionally intimate.

Often, these core issues involve aspects of yourself that you haven't encountered before--even if you're been in other relationships--because every relationship is different.  Each dyad is unique and combines the personal histories of each person in a unique way.

Getting to know yourself in a relationship gives you a chance to see yourself in a new light in both ways you like and in ways you might want to change.

Fictional Clinical Vignette:  Emotionally Intimate Relationships Provide You With An Opportunity to Get to Know Yourself in New Ways
The following fictional clinical vignette illustrates how being in a relationship provides an opportunity to get to know new aspects of yourself and how psychotherapy can help:

Tod
After his divorce, Tod waited a year before he started dating.  He had been married for 15 years and, initially, he found the dating world to be daunting.  It was all new to him.  He lacked confidence in himself and he felt discouraged by online dating.  He often felt like he was "doing it wrong" when he met women online or he felt inadequate in some way.  But when he met Nicki through mutual friends, he felt he met someone who was special, and he stopped his online dating activity.

They were both divorced, in their mid-40s, and without children.  Not only did they have similar values and interests, but they both had demanding careers and were both looking to get into a serious relationship.  After dating for several months, they decided to take the next step and move in together.

After living together for a couple of months, Nicki began to express her frustration with Tod's unspoken expectation that she do all of the cooking and housework.

Hearing her complaints, Tod was surprised--mostly at himself--because he always saw himself as believing that men and women were equal in his personal relationships as well as in his work-related relationships.  As a managing director at work, he tended to mentor and promote qualified women, and he encouraged his managers to do so as well.  So hearing Nicki say she thought his behavior at home was sexist was something he hadn't thought about before.  But when he did think about it, he realized that she was right.

As Tod thought about it more, he realized that when he was married, his wife, who didn't work, did the housework, and she didn't mind.  This is what he was accustomed to for 15 years and it was never an issue for them.  He also grew up in a household where his mother stayed home and took care of all the household chores while his father was at work.

The problems that led to Tod's divorce had nothing to do with disagreements about household chores and more to do with their growing apart.  His wife at the time was a perfectionist about housework, and she preferred to do things herself, which suited both of them.

In the last few years of his marriage, Tod started psychotherapy to deal with the loss of his mother to a sudden illness.  While in therapy, Tod learned things about himself that he never realized before.  Getting to know aspects of himself that he never knew before helped Tod to grow and become more psychologically minded, but his wife didn't understand why he attended psychotherapy.  Even when it was obvious to both of them that they were drifting apart, his wife wouldn't even consider going to couples therapy, so the relationship eventually ended with each of them acknowledging the unhappiness in the marriage and opting for an amicable divorce.

Tod began discussing with his psychotherapist how surprised he was to realize that he was behaving in a traditional sexist way at home and even more surprised that he didn't realize it himself before Nicki mentioned it.  Although he agreed with Nicki once she pointed it out, he felt completely inept about doing housework because he had never done it before.  When he lived with his former college roommates after he graduated college, they hired a cleaning person to do the housework and, as previously mentioned, when he was married, his wife preferred to do the housework.

His psychotherapist sensed that there was something more going on for Tod beyond that he didn't like or feel good at doing housework, so she explored this issue with him further.

What eventually came up was that, beyond housework, Tod often felt "not good enough" when he tried anything new, including online dating before he and Nicki moved in together.  This included going away to college, which resulted in him attending counseling through the college counseling center when he was tempted to drop out of college during his freshman year.  It also included when he was new at work after college.

Fortunately, his college counselor helped him to get through that difficult first year so he stayed at college.  And he was assigned to a caring mentor at his company, who helped him make the transition from college to work when he was a new employee, and it also helped Tod to build up his self confidence in his career.

As Tod discussed this problem with his psychotherapist, he realized that new situations still triggered the feelings of not being good enough in many areas of his life, and he wanted to work through this issue since it was bound to come up again and again in his life.

To discover the underlying issues involved with Tod not feeling good enough, his psychotherapist used the current situation with Nicki and the clinical hypnosis technique called the Affect Bridge (see my article: What is Clinical Hypnosis?).

With the Affect Bridge, Tod was able to sense his emotions and where he felt them in his body with regard to his current problem and go back to the earliest time that he felt this way about himself to get to the root of the problem.

Once Tod and his psychotherapist were able to pinpoint the earliest experience where he felt inadequate, which was in his childhood, they used EMDR therapy to help him to resolve the past, present and anticipated future events that could trigger these feelings of inadequacy (see my articles: What is EMDR Therapy?, How Does EMDR Therapy Work: EMDR and the Brain, and Experiential Therapy, Like EMDR Therapy, Helps to Achieve Emotional Breakthroughs).

Along the way, Tod began taking over half of the household responsibilities that Nicki had been doing, which Nicki appreciated, and after doing EMDR therapy, he no longer felt inadequate with this  issue or other new situations.

Conclusion
Emotionally intimate relationships provide an opportunity for you to get to know yourself in new ways, including both positive and negative aspects of yourself.

When there are issues that are getting triggered in your relationship, these issues often have their roots in earlier experiences.

Experiential therapy, like EMDR, Somatic Experiencing and clinical hypnosis are effective forms of therapy that help you to overcome unresolved trauma.

Getting Help in Therapy
If you have been struggling with unresolved issues, you can get help in psychotherapy (see my article: The Benefits of Psychotherapy).

A skilled psychotherapist can help you to overcome the problems that are keeping you stuck so you can lead a more fulfilling life, so rather than struggling on your own, get help from a licensed mental health professional (see my article: How to Choose a Psychotherapist).

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Psychotherapy).

I work with individual adults and couples, and I have helped many people to overcome unresolved problems.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

What Happens When You Numb Yourself to Your Traumatic Past?

In a prior article, I discussed the effect of growing up in a family where you can't express your emotions (see my article:  Psychotherapy Can Help You to Overcome the Effect of Growing Up in a Family That Doesn't Talk About Their Feelings).  But there are also times when people try to avoid feeling their feelings and numb themselves emotionally because of a traumatic event in their life.

What Happens When You Numb Yourself to Your Traumatic Past?

In The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel by Nina George, the protagonist, Jean Perdu, numbed himself for 20 years because of the loss of his relationship.  Rather than allowing himself to feel the pain of the breakup, he shuts down emotionally (see my articles:  Relationships: Fear of Being Emotionally Vulnerable and Allowing Yourself to Feel Your Feelings in a Healthy Way).

Not only has he numbed his feelings, but he literally locked the room in his apartment that held the the most poignant memories of his relationship from 20 years ago.

Even though Jean has a lot of empathy for others and he knows which books to recommend to heal them emotionally, he numbs himself to his broken heart and, for 20 years, he is unable to heal himself.

The effect of this emotional numbing is that he not only blocks the emotional pain, he also blocks out positive feelings.

What Happens When You Numb Yourself to Your Traumatic Past?

Although he is known and admired by many people, including his neighbors and people who go to his bookstore, he remains alone, lonely, cut off from himself and unwilling to deal with the past.

After he makes a surprising discovery, Jean embarks on a transformational journey to deal with the emotional effects of the past.

I won't provide any spoilers about what happened to Jean during his psychological journey, but I recommend reading the book for anyone who has ever experienced psychological trauma or contemplated dealing with past trauma.  Nina George portrays the effects of unresolved trauma poignantly and accurately.  The characters are also vivid and likable.

Getting Help in Therapy to Overcome Unresolved Psychological Trauma
Many people who suffer with unresolved trauma are hesitant about coming to therapy because they fear that trauma therapy will be too overwhelming (see my article: Starting Psychotherapy: It's Not Unusual to Feel Anxious or Ambivalent).

Getting Help in Therapy to Overcome Unresolved Psychological Trauma

A skilled trauma therapist knows how to assess clients' traumatic experiences as well as their internal resources so that the work can be manageable.  This doesn't mean that there is no discomfort when working on unresolved trauma in therapy.  It just means that there is a recognition that the therapy must go at a pace that feels safe for clients (see my article: Developing Internal Resources and Coping Skills in Therapy).

When you numb yourself emotionally, you're not only blocking your traumatic experiences, like Jean Perdu, you're also blocking or muting any positive feelings that you might have, and this is a high price to pay in order to avoid dealing with trauma from the past.

Rather than avoiding the working through process in therapy, you owe it to yourself to get the help that you need.  Once you have worked through past trauma, you will feel more emotionally integrated and have a greater capacity to live a more fulfilling life (see my article: How to Choose a Psychotherapist).

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

One of my specialties is helping clients to overcome psychological trauma.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

A Relationship with a Narcissistic Partner: Where Did the Love Go?

I've written prior articles about being in a relationship with a narcissistic romantic partner or spouse, including: A Relationship with a Narcissistic Person Can Have a Negative Impact on Your Self Esteem,  Coping Strategies For Being in a Relationship with a Narcissistic Partner,  How Narcissism Begins at an Early Age, and Narcissism: An Emotional Seesaw Between Grandiosity and Shame. 
In this article, I'm addressing a particular aspect of being in a relationship with someone who has narcissistic traits, which is how a relationship can start as a whirlwind romance and end with a thud.

A Relationship With a Narcissistic Partner: Where Did the Love Go?

As I've mentioned before in other articles, I usually don't think of people in terms of diagnosis (see my article: Psychotherapy: You're Not Defined By Your Diagnosis).  So, although I do believe that everyone is an individual, there are certain general recurring patterns that tend to occur when you get involved with someone who has strong narcissistic traits.

The Whirlwind Romance
Many people who have narcissistic traits can be very romantic at the outset of the relationship.  They might wine and dine you and sweep you off your feet before you even realize what's happening.

A Relationship with a Narcissistic Partner: Where Did the Love Go?

This is a very heady, romantic time for both people involved.  They will put you on a pedestal.  Often, they will treat you like you're the most special person that they've ever been in a relationship with--they've never felt this way before about anyone else.

The relationship is very exciting at this stage and the sex is usually passionate.

Taking the Relationship to the Next Level
Soon after that, they might tell you that the two of you should move in together or plan a wedding.  You might be surprised, but since every seems to be going so well, you might think, "This was meant to be!"

A Relationship with a Narcissistic Partner: Fantasizing About a Wedding

You might find yourself looking at wedding dresses and looking at wedding venues online.

After a While, They Become Less Available
In most relationships where things are going well, some of the passion might wear off, as is normal, but the emotional intimacy grows deeper and the relationship becomes more meaningful.

But when you're involved with someone who has narcissistic traits, this is when things start to go south:  Your partner is less available.  S/he might start cancelling dates because of other pressing matters at work.

At this point, you definitely get the sense that something has changed and you are right.  What has changed is that your partner has started to get to know you better.

You're no longer that idealized person in his or her imagination--you're a real person that has flaws as well as strengths, as does everyone.

But to the person with narcissistic traits, you're no longer as attractive as s/he imagined you to be.  S/he wants the idealized person that was in his or her imagination--not the real person.  And therein lies the problem.

The person who has strong narcissistic traits is often incapable of having a mature relationship once the heady romantic time is over and reality hits.

Generally speaking, people with narcissistic traits often don't understand this about themselves, so rather than taking responsibility for their own shortcomings in this area, they often blame you:  "You're not the person that you led me to believe that you were" or you will probably blamed in some other way.

Soon after that, the relationship fizzles out because they are looking for someone new in order to recreate that idealistic, romantic relationship again and you're "old news."

It's very difficult to have closure with your former romantic partner because he or she is already thinking about how to meet the next person or is already infatuated with someone else.

What's Real?
You might be shocked to discover how soon your partner gets involved again.  This can cause you to question what's real.  Did you ex really care about you?

The answer to that question is difficult.

First, people who are highly narcissistic usually lack the capacity to love deeply in a mature way.

As I mentioned earlier, they often get wrapped up in the idea of the romantic relationship and idealize you in a way that makes you seem "perfect."

Since you're perfect in their eyes, this is also indirectly a reflection on them, so they must be "perfect" too, and together you're "perfect couple"--until you're not.

Once you begin to show normal human flaws, you're no longer "perfect" and whatever self-imposed spell your partner was under is gone.

You're no longer desirable or fun or whatever other qualities s/he thought you had before you showed yourself to be a normal human being.

Breakup Anxiety
It can be very disorienting to know that while you're heartbroken and riddled with anxiety about what happened to the relationship, your ex is already out and about looking for the next romantic partner.

Many people who have experienced this question their own sense of reality about what happened and how the relationship went from being so loving to nothing.

Having to deal with this on your own (since your ex probably isn't going to be helpful) creates breakup anxiety, and you can feel very alone with it.

Some people even question their self worth, which can devolve into a depressive episode without professional help.

Getting Help in Therapy
A skilled psychotherapist who is knowledgeable about the patterns involved with this type of relationship can help you to understand what happened, process your feelings, get closure and regain a sense of self confidence again.

So, you're not alone, and rather than struggling on your own, you can seek help from an experienced psychotherapist who has worked with this issue in a way that you can't on your own.

Once you have worked through the emotional pain of this type of breakup, you can lead a more fulfilling life with someone who is emotionally mature and ready for a full relationship and not just a fantasy.

About Me
I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website:  Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.