You don’t remember the last time an argument didn’t spiral out of control.
It doesn’t matter what it’s about. Every time there is a disagreement, it escalates. You’re both yelling at each other, bringing up things that aren’t relevant. Then, after the dust settles, you never revisit it. You both go on with your life, acting as if nothing happened. Or, maybe you avoid having a conflict at all costs. Neither one of you addresses differing views. And, you might even keep these differing views to yourself because “it’s not worth having a fight over it.” Right? In either situation, the tension builds. You start to notice that you’re avoiding your partner. Avoiding activities, conversations, or even having meals with them. It gets to be unbearable. Then, you realize that you cannot go on like this any longer. If this sounds familiar, you and your partner could benefit from online counseling for conflict resolution in Virginia.
What is online counseling for conflict resolution?
Online counseling for conflict works the same as in person counseling. Only, it’s online.
Through counseling, you and your partner can learn to cope in challenging situations by helping you focus on finding solutions as you navigate conflict. In relationships, conflict is bound to happen. It’s not reasonable or realistic to expect two people to always agree on everything. Even though conflict is a normal, healthy part of any relationship, trying to deal with it when it comes up can feel anything but healthy or normal. Since disagreements are an expected part of life, learning to handle them in a positive and meaningful way is crucial.
Conflict in a relationship can be difficult to navigate
After an argument with your partner, you may avoid them in an attempt to “keep the peace”. You may hope that over time, the issue will resolve itself. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. By avoiding conflict or pretending nothing happened, you’ll create additional tension as this unspoken problem remains between you and the other person. Now, your dynamic is filled with unresolved energy from a disagreement or argument. Often, there’s so much tension that it can feel suffocating. In addition, this can have large implications. If left unresolved, you and your partner could start to resent each other.
And, conflict in a relationship is healthy and normal.
During a conflict, we have an opportunity to learn things about our partner that we did not know previously. Having a conflict in a relationship allows us to learn more about the “why” behind aspects of our relationship. There is a level of vulnerability that accompanies having a conflict in a relationship. Engaging in a conflict with your partner, when done so with positive intentions, can help you to grow closer to each other. And, to learn more about each other.
Why would a couple come to counseling for help with conflict resolution?
Each couple that pursues online counseling for conflict resolution does for different reasons. From our marriage counselor’s experience, each couple brings a different dynamic when seeking out conflict resolution. In addition, our marriage counselors have worked with couples at many different stages in their relationship. With this in mind, here are some common reasons why couples pursue online counseling for conflict resolution:
- Feeling intense fear and anxiety around having a conflict with their partner
- Apprehensive that any disagreement will turn into an eruption
- Avoiding disagreement with their partner
- Not wanting to move forward with commitment
- Feeling like their relationship isn’t progressing at the speed that it should
- Not feeling close to their partner
Monday Courage’s Approach to Couples Counseling for Conflict Resolution
When providing online counseling for conflict resolution in Virginia, our counselors want to help you learn to navigate conflict. We would like to help you reframe how you see conflict in a relationship. When done right, conflict can be incredibly beneficial for a relationship. It shouldn’t be seen as something that “has to be done.” But rather, as an opportunity to grow. On top of that, we want to change the metric of a “good” relationship by how much time has passed since the last “fight.” Instead, switching our framework to noticing the times that we successfully work through a disagreement. And, hear what our partner is saying to us.
EFT and Gottman in Online Counseling for Conflict Resolution
We incorporate components of EFT and Gottman Approach when providing conflict resolution. With this combination, we focus on disarming harmful language that we use. Often, this is the language that we use when we’re having an argument with our partner. Instead, we work on neutralizing the language and focus on getting the message across. We work to acknowledge the patterns in how we engage in conflict. And, we work to disarm the impact. Our work together promotes using language that aims to communicate our needs, while not being laced in anger. Overall, this combination of approaches allows us to fully address the issues you and your partner are experiencing with conflict resolution.
Begin Online Counseling for Conflict Resolution in Virginia
Online counseling for conflict resolution can help you and your partner navigate the tribulations you’re experiencing. Through online therapy in Virginia, we’re able to provide you with quality services that mirror services received in our centrally located Virginia counseling practice. When you’re ready to begin conflict resolution, follow these steps:
- Reach out to our client care coordinator.
- Get to know our team of online counselors.
- Navigate the differences in your relationship in a healthy way.
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