RELATIONSHIPS
Navigating Relationships In Today’s World
“It reminds me of that old joke—you know, a guy walks into a psychiatrist's office and says, hey doc, my brother's crazy! He thinks he's a chicken! Then the doc says, why don't you turn him in? Then the guy says, I would but I need the eggs. I guess that's how I feel about relationships. They're totally crazy, irrational, and absurd, but we keep going through it because we need the eggs.” (Woody Allen – “Annie Hall” Screenplay)
Relationship problems are no joke. Be they romantic partnerships, friendships, family ties, or professional associations, relationships require attention and work to maintain. Whether you are struggling to make time for your relationships, finding it hard to communicate effectively, or dealing with something more intense, relationship counseling can help. Psychologist Shannon Stepan helps individuals and couples in New York City navigate the relationship challenges they face in today’s world.
Do You Need Relationship Therapy?
Having frequent conflicts with your boss? Always feel like you’re dating the “wrong” people? Constantly fighting with your spouse? Relationship counseling enables individuals or partners in a relationship to talk about their problems and feelings in a safe and private environment. By talking through your problems and issues, you better understand yourself and, with guidance, are able to make changes that improve your life and relationships.
Counseling can provide you with the tools and skills you need to make thoughtful and intentional decisions about your relationships. If you need help improving the relationships in your life, be they romantic, professional, familial, or friendly, psychologist Shannon Stepan can empower you with the tools to overcome relationship obstacles and build healthier, more satisfying relationships.
Relationship Therapy with Dr. Shannon Stepan
If you are experiencing relationship problems, you may feel like there’s nowhere to turn. Psychologist Dr. Shannon Stepan can help. Incorporating a combination of attachment theory, psychodynamic theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), she works with patients to improve and strengthen the relationships in their lives.
What Skills Will Relationship Therapy Teach Me?
Among other skills, relationship counseling with Shannon Stepan focuses on the following techniques of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):
Mindfulness: Skills to focus on the present, reduce judgment of thoughts, and gain greater control over your thinking.
Emotional Regulation: Skills to improve your ability to change and cope effectively with emotions, rather than being controlled by your emotional state.
Distress Tolerance: Skills to manage your crisis and sit with difficult emotions without making the situation/your problems worse.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Skills to get your needs met in relationships while attending to and improving those relationships.
What Can a Couple Expect During Relationship Counseling?
Couples counseling begins with some general questions regarding the history of the relationship, including a focus on each individual’s family-of-origin, cultural background, and values. The therapist will then assist the couple in identifying the issue that will be the focus of the treatment, establishing treatment goals, and developing organizational structure for treatment. Helping the couple gain insight into what created the problem and guiding them to an understanding of how their roles have contributed to the overall dysfunction is also the therapist’s focus.
While gaining insight is a crucial part of the counseling process, another important aspect is actually changing the behaviors causing the problem. This can be accomplished through role playing during the sessions, as well as “homework” assignments specifically applying the skills that the couple learned in therapy.
The majority of couples come away from counseling with a greater knowledge and understanding of their relationship patterns and with the necessary skills to effectively communicate and problem-solve with their partners.
Does Relationship Therapy Really Work?
Can therapy really help you to improve the relationships in your life? Can it save a romantic relationship characterized by arguing and negativity? The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists reports that 98 percent of couples consider counseling a success.
For those struggling with work, family, or friend relationships, counseling offers skills and insights that can be used to better understand conflicts and manage difficult emotions. Working with a skilled psychotherapist can result in positive changes for individuals and couples who are struggling to build, maintain, and grow satisfying relationships.
Life Is Too Short for Relationship Stress
Don’t spend another day worrying about your relationship problems and wondering if they’ll ever be solved. Schedule a consultation with leading New York City relationship therapist Shannon Stepan today.
