The dating scene.

Are you ready to get back out there?

Maybe you’re not so sure. The whole process has its risks.

Vulnerability. Rejection. Emotional investment with little return.

How do you know if you’re up to it?

Believe it or not, the problem may not be finding someone to share a meal with, or meaningful conversation. The real task may be preparing yourself to make the process worth your while.

How do you do that? Relationship therapy.

Consider the benefits:

Relationship therapy can help you learn how to attract the right people.

A relationship therapist can help you see yourself as others see you. What picture do you portray? Are you able to relax and interact genuinely? Or are you covering insecurity with aggression, false confidence, or negativity?

A therapist can also help you discover the blocks to your confidence and provide some basic communication tools that will help you engage the right people to date. You can also learn about communication habits that may be getting in your way.

Relationship therapy can help you rewrite the unproductive scripts in your head.

Much of what happens in your relationships begins inside your own head.

Your therapist can show you how to relate to yourself with more compassion and to others with less fear.

Does the dialogue in your head include words like “failure” or “disrespected”; “loser” or “unwanted”?

Your scripts may have you convinced that people are generally insensitive or unworthy of your effort. Not the best foundation for dating and courtship.

Relationship therapy can help you really understand what you’ve been telling yourself and others.

You can begin a process of productive self-talk that encourages a clearer, more balanced view of yourself and a more open-minded view of other people’s perceptions.

Relationship therapy can help you uncover unproductive relationship patterns.

Working with a therapist can show you where you’re prone to get stuck. Examination of past relationships will help clarify how your family history, parental attachments, and former partners shaped your current attraction to certain types of people – for better or for worse.

You can save yourself time and effort in unhealthy dating situations by working through emotional baggage and damage before unhealthy dating attachments are formed.

Relationship therapy will help you foster independent interests and values.

Part of finding quality potential relationships is putting yourself in a position to be with people who share and appreciate your interests and values. Working with a therapist helps clarify who you are and what matters to you. You’ll discover new avenues for self-discovery that can put you in the position to meet new people and expand the pool of potential dating partners.

Relationship therapy will provide an unbiased, empathic support system.

Your relationship therapist offers both compassionate support and objective reflection to help you to optimize awareness and healing, to clarify relationship goals, and to develop communication skills. With application, the preparatory work you do in therapy will pay dividends time and time again. Contact me to learn more.