Joanne Gilhooly - Psychotherapist & Counsellor - Dublin City
Joanne Gilhooly - Psychotherapist & Counsellor - Dublin City
B.A. (Hons) Counselling & Psychotherapy, Dip. Gestalt, MIACP
B.A. (Hons) Counselling & Psychotherapy, Dip. Gestalt, MIACP
Psychotherapy and Counselling for Relationship Difficulties...
When our ability to form and maintain healthy relationships is restricted it can affect us at the deepest level, sending a ripple of discontent throughout our lives and affecting our overall sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.
Relationships, of course, are not limited to intimate relationships, but also friendships, family relationships, and working relationships - any that are of importance to us. To be able to connect with others and find a sense of belonging in the world, is an essential part of being human, and our sense of worthiness as unique individuals is inextricably linked to the ability to connect with others, as well as our ability to allow them to connect with us.
In terms of intimate relationships, there are further challenges. As they require a deeper level of connection and vulnerability they can bring up intense and often frightening emotions, particularly if childhood relationships were negative, traumatic, or difficult. It can be tempting to avoid the sometimes painful emotions that are inherent in having a close relationship with another person, but this tends to create further problems in the long term, as if we avoid the painful emotions, we inevitably lose out on the positive, joyful experiences too.
The approaches to counselling and psychotherapy that I am trained in, including the psychodynamic and humanistic models, are well-suited to working with relationship difficulties. Together we can begin to navigate our way through the problems you are experiencing, with the aim of bringing unconscious negative expectations of relationships to light, and exploring the impact these may be having on your relationships in your life today.