Feeling Disconnected in Your Relationship? You’re Not Alone

You and your partner love each other, but lately, something feels off. The connection that once came so easily now feels distant or strained. Conversations turn into misunderstandings, small frustrations escalate, and intimacy isn’t what it used to be.

You might be wondering:
❓ Why do we keep having the same arguments over and over?
❓ Why do I feel unheard, unseen, or unappreciated in this relationship?
❓ How did we go from being so in sync to feeling like roommates?

Even when love is still there, relationships can feel stuck, disconnected, or unfulfilling. The good news? You don’t have to stay in this cycle.

Communication Struggles? Resentment Building? Therapy Can Help

Life’s stressors—career demands, parenting, and daily responsibilities—can take a toll on your emotional connection and communication. Maybe you feel like:

🔹 One of you is always taking the lead, while the other checks out.
🔹 Your conversations turn into fights, or worse—you’ve stopped talking about the real stuff altogether.
🔹 You’ve lost intimacy—emotionally, physically, or both.
🔹 You feel unappreciated, unheard, or misunderstood.
🔹 You wonder if things can ever feel good between you again.

It’s not that you don’t love each other—it’s that the way you’re relating to each other isn’t working. That’s where couples therapy comes in.

Couples Therapy Can Help You Reconnect & Rebuild Your Relationship

As a couples therapist in Lake Oswego, I specialize in helping partners:
✅ Improve communication so you can truly hear and understand each other.
✅ Break unhealthy patterns that keep you stuck in the same conflicts.
✅ Strengthen emotional and physical intimacy to feel connected again.
✅ Create a fairer balance of responsibilities so neither partner feels overwhelmed.
✅ Heal past wounds and learn how to repair and move forward.

I use a direct yet compassionate approach, helping couples untangle what’s really going on beneath the surface. Together, we will explore how past experiences, unspoken expectations, and different communication styles may be impacting your relationship today.

Whether you’re in crisis mode, trying to prevent things from getting worse, or simply wanting to deepen your connection, therapy can help.

How Couples Therapy Works: A Step-by-Step Approach

🔹 Step 1: Understanding Your Unique Relationship
We start by exploring your relationship history, struggles, and strengths. What’s working? What’s missing? What are the deeper needs behind your conflicts?

🔹 Step 2: Identifying the Patterns Keeping You Stuck
I help you recognize negative cycles—the patterns of interaction that lead to miscommunication, frustration, and distance.

🔹 Step 3: Strengthening Communication & Connection
You’ll learn new ways to express your needs and emotions, improve listening skills, and create a safe space for open conversations.

🔹 Step 4: Restoring Trust, Intimacy & Partnership
Whether it’s rebuilding trust, restoring intimacy, or rediscovering friendship, therapy provides a roadmap for reconnecting.

🔹 Step 5: Creating a Relationship That Feels Good for Both of You
Together, we will create sustainable changes that help your relationship feel stronger, closer, and more fulfilling long after therapy ends.

Couples Therapy Can Help With:

✔ Communication struggles – Stop the endless cycle of misunderstandings.
✔ Conflict resolution – Learn to handle disagreements without escalating.
✔ Rebuilding trust – Whether from broken promises or past hurts, healing is possible.
✔ Intimacy & emotional closeness – Feel connected again.
✔ Work-life balance & stress – Reduce overwhelm and create a partnership that works.
✔ Parenting challenges – Get on the same page as co-parents.
✔ Navigating ADHD in relationships – Learn how ADHD impacts communication, connection, and daily life.

What If My Partner Isn’t Willing to Do Therapy?

It’s common for one partner to be hesitant about couples counseling. However, therapy isn’t about blame—it’s about learning new ways to connect, listen, and understand each other. Many partners start therapy unsure and end up feeling relieved and hopeful once they experience the process.

If your partner is hesitant, consider starting with individual therapy to explore your own needs and communication patterns. Even one person making changes can shift the dynamic in your relationship.

Schedule a Free Consultation for Couples Therapy in Lake Oswego

You don’t have to stay stuck in frustration, loneliness, or resentment. With the right support, you and your partner can find your way back to connection, intimacy, and partnership.

📞 Call 503-327-6971 or click here to schedule a free consultation today.

I provide couples therapy in Lake Oswego and the greater Portland area, including Tigard, West Linn, Tualatin, Beaverton, and Sherwood.

Susan Gulka, LPC
(503) 327-6971
14523 Westlake Drive
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Click here to schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation today.