Christmas, Couples and Counselling

Hello there,

If the title of this short article has caught your eye, it seems likely that you are in the same boat as many people just now –i.e. caught up in anxiety, worry and conflict in a relationship, and heightened at this time of year.

Christmas can pile on more than the pounds or kilos.

What is it about Christmas that piles pressure on our relationships? Perhaps it is the stereotype of all the things that we “should” do, how we “should” behave and the image of happy relationships, happy households and jingle bells 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Yet the reality can be so far from that. Resentments build up in many ways, for example if one person feels that all the organising, planning and doing is left to them. The most common things couples argue about are money; sex; children; chores and tasks, and these issues come up time and time again.

The rows begin over differences of opinion, and once you are in the row it can be difficult to stop it, particularly if one of you feels too angry to compromise.

If you have visited this website you may be exploring ideas about counselling for a relationship issue. At this time of year (as I write it’s late November) it can be impossible to find time to see a counsellor before Christmas. Yet you are carrying the weight of your worry around.

If this is how life feels to you it can be of considerable help to do something now. One suggestion is to research finding a counsellor who you feel you can work with, and make an appointment for early January. This step in itself can be therapeutic and bring you relief, a bit like the instant relief when you loosen your clothes after an over indulgent Christmas feast!

I hope you have found this article interesting and useful; if you would like to discuss anything with me further, please do get in touch by e mail or phone. You can reach me by clicking through to my profile, or at my web site at www.thrivingivy.com

Best wishes,

Judith