G&STC Blog Roundup: 7 Blogs About Managing Obstacles in Your Relationship
Every relationship experiences conflict–not just romantic relationship ones either. Think of your other social, platonic, professional, or familial relationships–there have been moments of conflict in those too right? Learning to navigate conflict in a healthy way is crucial for developing and sustaining healthy relationships.
And conflict in a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean you’re fighting with your partner. Sometimes there’s an obstacle that you and your partner must navigate together. There could be things like physical issues impacting your sex life, mismatched libidos, sexual difficulty due to anxiety, etc. Not every conflict is a fight, some are moments we need extra support from our partner in order to manage whatever obstacle we (or our relationship) is facing.
But, we know it can feel scary! Whether the conflict is a fight or not, many of us aren’t taught the relational or communication skills we need to navigate these moments in our lives.
So here are seven blogs to offer guidance on managing obstacles in your relationship:
How To Manage Differing Libidos In A Relationship
In fact, two people with perfectly matched libidos are incredibly rare. This is a reality most sexually active people will come against at some point — simply because our libidos have a natural ebb and flow throughout our lives. This desire debacle doesn’t mean a relationship is doomed — quite the opposite. Instead, it is an opportunity to invite more intention and communication into your sex life.
How To Embrace Sexuality Shifts After Having Children
It’s not just people who give birth who experience these changes, it’s everyone who is a new parent from adoptive parents to new fathers and partners of those who gave birth. The medical approach to this topic often comes in the form of checking off boxes to simple questions like have you had sex since giving birth? Or what kind of birth control are you using, if any?
The lack of resources for new parents re-navigating their sexual life with a newborn leaves people feeling isolated and alone in this issue. But you aren’t alone and there are ways you can reconfigure your sexual life to be fulfilling again!
How to Plan for Conflict in Relationships
There are four archetypes in conflict: the victim, warrior, leader/healer, and creator. There is no archetype that handles conflict “better” or “worse” than the other and it’s likely that we all act from different archetypes depending on the situation. Learning about this will help build awareness for how you show up in conflict and hopefully allow you to find a balance from multiple archetypes. The goal is to not overly identify with one single archetype and instead have skills to lean on from all four.
5 Tips For Managing Vaginal Sexual Pain
Mental health has a huge impact on sexual function. When someone is feeling off balance in their mental space -- whether because they’re burnt out or depressed or anxious or experiencing PTSD -- the body holds that energy as well. Many sexual dysfunctions like vaginismus are directly related to how someone is feeling in their relationship(s) or in their body.
Managing Jealousy While Your Partner Is On A Date
Non-monogamous relationships may present more opportunities for jealousy to arise as you explore multiple relationships at the same time. Even those who have been practicing ethical non-monogamy for years find jealousy can sneak up while a partner is on a date with someone else. It is a vulnerable experience to love multiple people at the same time — especially when living in a society that prioritizes compulsory monogamy. When it comes to facing jealousy, it’s helpful to explore what is beneath the surface so you can communicate your feelings and needs with lovers.
Easing Sexual Anxiety and Insecurities
Sexual struggles can feel particularly isolating because we are not taught skills around nourishing our sexual being. When experiencing anxiety or insecurity around sex, it can be challenging to even broach the topic with a partner. There are many different ways that anxiety or insecurity can show up in our sex life. It may look like never feeling in the mood for sex, experiencing painful sex, orgasming before you want to, not feeling confident during sex, or struggling to orgasm (or something else). Here are some ways to move through sexual anxiety and insecurity.
When to start relationship therapy?
Relationship therapy is one of the kindest gifts you can give to your relationship. Relationships require care and nurturing, and seeking therapy with your partner(s) can be an incredibly helpful way to ensure the longevity and happiness of your relationship. Many partnerships wait until their relationship is "no longer working" or filled with resentment, hostility, contempt and conflict.
Blog authors all hold positions at the Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center (G&STC). For more information about our therapists and services please contact us.