Having a baby

How does having a baby change your life?

Having a baby alters the dynamics of your relationship.As a couple you only have each other to be concerned about. Suddenly you have a vulnerable little person who will be with you for the next 18 years. Add in lack of sleep, and 24/7 demands from a new baby. Overnight you become a family. It takes time to accept and adjust to this new situation.

 After the baby…

Two becomes three. Often Mum concentrates on the baby, and Dad can feel pushed out. Sometimes Mum is overwhelmed, and it is Dad who connects strongly with the baby. A similar dynamic can occur in same sex relationships. The baby becomes the focus of attention for the family. It is important for the couple to find time for each other and their relationship.

With a small baby it can be hard to find time for your relationship. However, it is important to put creative energy into spending time with your partner. Make sure your relationship doesn’t suffer.

Be patient with yourselves as change takes time to assimilate!

This is one of the most common times for couples to seek professional help…

If things continue to be difficult between you and your partner couple counselling can help. Email or phone for help to get your relationship back on the right track.

Infidelity

Can you rebuild your relationship after an affair?

If your partner has been unfaithful, your world has been turned upside down. You feel hurt and angry. You might wonder whether your life together has been a lie. Will you ever be able to trust your partner again?

If you have had an affair, you may not be sure how you ended up being unfaithful.
You feel terrible for hurting your partner.
You might want to put the infidelity behind you instead of talking about it so much.
How can you find a way forward?

Couple counselling can help you consider these questions:

• Why did it happen?
• Once the love and trust are gone, can we ever get them back?
• Can I… should I… recommit when I feel so ambivalent?
• How do we become sexually intimate again?
• Is forgiveness possible?
• What constitutes an affair in cyberspace?
• Do we have a future together?

Couple counselling provides a neutral space to talk through what you both want.

After an infidelity it is possible to create a relationship that is stronger and richer than before.

Please contact me if you want to know more, or look at my relationship counselling and sex therapy pages.

About desire

Couple counselling and sex therapy can help you explore concerns about desire.

Maybe you hardly ever think about sex. Does  your partner want to have sex a lot more often than you? Or perhaps you spend a lot of time thinking about sex. For example looking at internet porn, engaging in cybersex or having sex with different partners.

In both these situations it is important to consider whether your level of sexual desire is a problem for you. A useful question to ask is if your level of desire preventing you from getting on with aspects of your life. Consider whether your relationship, work, family life etc. is suffering.

Our culture often presents a limited picture of normal sexuality. Desire and sexual experience will be different for each person. Desire is on a spectrum. Some people feel lots and others will feel very little. Levels of desire can fluctuate over time. Desire fluctuates in response to what is happening in your life.

Desire can be affected by early messages received about sex. Positive or negative early sexual experiences can make a difference.

Sex therapy can be a good way to begin to learn new, more empowering and positive ways of seeing sex and desire. Give me a call to find out more about sex therapy.

My couple counselling blog

Welcome to the launch of my couple counselling blog and website!!

Check in here for relationship tips, and relationship counselling and psychosexual therapy information.

Please look around my website and let me know what you think.