Relationship Therapy

British psychoanalysis is very much concerned with relationships, starting with early relationships with parents, so that, if those relationships are fraught, due to, for example, negligence, abandonment, bereavement, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, etc., there is, psychoanalytic therapists say, a possibility that the person might continue choosing relationships similar to the early fraught ones. This, of course, is counter intuitive - why would you go from a childhood marked by parentally inflicted trauma to an adulthood marked by partner inflicted trauma? But it does happen. I have experienced it in my life and I have witnessed it in the lives of many clients over the 30 odd years I've worked as a therapist. Indeed, Freud wrote a paper in 1914 called, "Remembering, Repeating and Working Through" which outlines this theory - based on his clinical experience.

This kind of dynamic is, in my view, a major reason why people have relationship difficulties, i.e. that when we "fall in love", part of the unconscious and conscious rationale is about compatibility - similar sense of humour, physical attraction, intellectual; compatibility, etc., but, in addition to these sensible causes of falling in love, we are often partly swayed by mistaken reasons - our new partner is abusive, selfish, deceitful, etc. - like our mother or father was or we are terrified of commitment due to losses in childhood or our childhood traumas are influencing our partner choice in some other unhelpful way.

Of course there are other reasons for relationship difficulties and even when the kind of difficulty described here is influencing partner choice, it is often doing so as such a minimal percentage that it isn't an issue. But, when this repetition compulsion occurs, it can be helpful to have some sessions with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist to help put words and awareness around these old unconscious motivations and mourn and work through the painful feelings entailed, so that we cleanse ourselves as much as we can from these mistaken reasons.

For further information or to book a session, please feel free to contact me at:

t. 01297 625006 m. 07989 000088

ewpsychotherapy@gmail.com

11 Wessiters, Seaton, Devon, EX12 2PW

Providing Counselling, Psycholology, Psychoanalysis, Jungian Analysis, Couple & Marriage Therapy and Supervision for people in and around:

Seaton, Axminster, Chard, Yarcombe, Dunkeswell, Cullompton, Payhembury, Honiton, Dalwood, FenitonWhimple, Exeter, Ottery St Mary, Kilmington, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Branscombe, Axmouth, Rousdon, Lyme Regis, Uplyme, Charmouth, Seatown Bridport, Beaminster, Tiverton, Ilminster, South Petherton, Taunton and Crewkerne.