Well+Being Holistic Mental Health
“Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places”
How To Successfully Navigate Your Open Relationship
You’ve just learned that your neighbors are swingers, which has you really curious, even hot and bothered at the thought. It's completely natural to feel curious or intrigued by the idea of swinging, especially if it's something you've never explored before. However, before diving into the lifestyle, there are indeed some important things to consider What is an alternative relationship? An alternative relationship is any relationship that goes against the norm of monogamy. Consensual non-monogamy, swinging, polyamory, these are all examples of alternative relationships. If you and your partner are interested in opening your relationship, let’s consider what this actually means.
An open relationship can include all forms of non-monogamy. It may include threesomes with both partners present. Sometimes polyamory is part of the mix where partners engage in emotional and sexual relationships. Others may explore their fetish or kink with other people but only have vanilla sex with their partner. Compersion, or feeling joy from your partner's connections with others, can indeed be a significant aspect for some individuals in open relationships. An open relationship can be many things, but it must work for both partners.
About Holistic Psychotherapy
Holistic Psychotherapy is beneficial for people of all ages, and it’s never too late to begin developing healthier lifestyle habits. No matter your age, mental health issues can interfere with your wellbeing throughout your lifespan. Individuals and couples enter therapy with a unique set of challenges and goals. As a holistic psychotherapist with a private practice in NYC, I specialize in helping older adolescents, adults and couples who experience struggle in their day to day lives. My focus is to help you uncover the root cause of your struggle in psychotherapy, as holistic psychotherapists believe that this is the best path forward to support your mental health recovery. Let me explain the many ways therapy can help make your life better.
Psychotherapy offers the opportunity for an individual to better understand and change patterns of behavior, feelings, and relationships that are getting in the way of your functioning. Psychotherapy offers the opportunity for an individual to understand and change patterns of behavior, feelings, and relationships that are getting in the way of higher-functioning. Good therapy can enable you to have richer, fuller and more meaningful life experiences.
What Does Holistic Psychotherapy Do?
Coping With Relationship Heartbreak
Breakups are painful. The reasons for the relationship split seem to matter less than the fact that your world has changed and all kinds of uncomfortable feelings and emotions are being triggered. You can learn from this experience and come through it wiser and stronger, and hopefully, with a heart open enough to receive love and hope for the future. As a NYC psychotherapist in private practice, struggling after a break up is a common reason people seek counseling and therapy.
Even though the relationship no longer works, why do breakups hurt so much? When marriages or relationships end, it is not just about grieving the loss of the connection, but the end of shared hopes and dreams. Hope is an important aspect of early romantic relationships. Couples mourn the hope for the future as well as the commitment of shared goals and dreams.
Other important losses include one's identity, physical and sexual intimacy, shared hobbies and interests, relationships with friends and extended family, a physical move or the sale of a home, financial stability, individual and shared responsibilities, and if children are involved, a significant disruption in their lives.
Starting over can be scary. It is normal to wonder if you will ever find love or another partner again as well as other future uncertainties. Many feel that staying with what they know, even if it's an unhappy partnership, is better than being alone. It's important to remind yourself, that it is possible to move on to find happiness either alone or with someone else. Healing takes time and recovery requires patience and treating yourself with kindness and compassion.
Successful Couples Do (And Don’t Do) These Things
Couples who create successful and mutually satisfying relationships often have a formula for success. These dynamic couples have some important skills, and consistently make thoughtful, conscious choices that lead to enhanced closeness and connection.
They do (and don’t do) certain things, which is why they enjoy a stable and robust relationship. John and Julie Gottman of the Gottman Institute, known for their extensive relationship research, would call these smart couples "masters" of relationships.
If you desire a dynamic and loving relationship, you may want to consider being mindful of the following elements that create a loving and successful relationship.
Let's begin with what NOT to do: