see improvements in all your relationships
Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI
Feel More Connected, Confident, and Like Yourself in Your Relationships
It can feel incredibly frustrating when relationships start to feel heavy instead of supportive. You may notice the same patterns playing out again and again: miscommunication, distance, resentment, or feeling like you’re always the one trying harder. Even when you care deeply about the people in your life, it can start to feel exhausting to constantly navigate tension, uncertainty, or emotional disconnect. You might find yourself wondering why relationships that matter so much feel so difficult to sustain.
Maybe you’ve noticed that conversations quickly turn into arguments, or that important topics get avoided altogether. You may feel unheard, unappreciated, or unsure how to say what you actually need without it turning into conflict. In some relationships, you might notice a lack of trust or emotional safety. You may find yourself always questioning intentions, replaying conversations, or feeling on edge about what might go wrong next. If only there were a way to feel understood and connected without having to fight for it.
Perhaps You Feel Like You’re Carrying Most of the Emotional Weight.
You’re the one initiating conversations, checking in, smoothing things over, or adjusting yourself to keep the peace. Over time, this can lead to resentment, dread, or a quiet sense of losing yourself in the process. It’s common to feel stuck between wanting closeness and feeling obligated to stay in relationships that leave you drained. At the end of the day, you just want to feel valued, supported, and able to show up as yourself without constantly overthinking or walking on eggshells.
At Forward Outlook Counseling, our relationship therapy in Lansing, MI, offers a dedicated space to slow down and make sense of what’s been happening. We help you explore your relationships with partners, family members, friends, or coworkers. You deserve relationships that feel more balanced, honest, and emotionally safe. Support is available to help you reconnect with your needs, strengthen communication, and begin building relationships that feel more aligned and fulfilling.
Relationship challenges can be difficult.
Relationship Therapy can help.
How Does Relationship Therapy Work?
Relationship therapy in Lansing, MI, is a space to slow down and take an honest look at what’s been happening in your connections. When relationships feel strained or unfulfilling, it’s often not because you’re doing something “wrong.” Usually, it is because important needs, patterns, or emotions haven’t had the space to be understood. In therapy, we begin by getting curious about your experiences. We’ll explore what feels hard, where you feel stuck, and what you’ve been carrying in your relationships with partners, family members, friends, or even at work. As a relationship therapist, I work alongside you to build awareness around your patterns, emotions, and past experiences that influence how you relate to others. This might include noticing how you communicate under stress, how you handle conflict or closeness, or where you tend to put others’ needs ahead of your own.
Over time, we explore how past relationships or early experiences may still be shaping your expectations, boundaries, and sense of self in current connections. Relationship therapy also focuses on developing practical, supportive skills. Together, we work on improving communication, expressing needs more clearly, and responding to triggers in ways that feel more intentional and aligned with who you are. Many people begin to feel more confident setting boundaries, trusting themselves, and showing up more authentically in their relationships. With Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI, the goal isn’t to change who you are to fit others. It’s to help you reconnect with your needs and values so your relationships can feel more balanced, meaningful, and sustainable.
What Are the Most Common Relationship Problems?
Many people come to relationship therapy feeling unsure why their relationships feel so draining or difficult, even when they care deeply about the people involved. Often, it’s not just one issue, but a combination of patterns that leave you feeling disconnected, frustrated, or stuck. Some of the most common concerns I hear include:
Ongoing communication problems, where conversations turn into misunderstandings, conflict, or avoidance
Feeling like the relationship is one-sided, with you carrying most of the emotional weight or effort
Emotional distance or lack of closeness, even when you’re physically together
Trust issues related to broken promises, dishonesty, or past betrayals
Difficulty setting boundaries or expressing needs without guilt or fear of conflict
Resentment, dread, or feeling obligated to stay in relationships that leave you drained
Relationship challenges don’t only show up in romantic partnerships. Many people struggle with friendships that feel unbalanced, family relationships marked by conflict or obligation, or workplace relationships that create ongoing stress. Life transitions, financial pressure, grief, or caregiving responsibilities can add additional strain. This can make it harder to know how to move forward without losing yourself in the process.
How Do I Know If I’m Experiencing Relationship Issues?
Many people wonder whether what they’re dealing with is “serious enough” to seek relationship therapy. Often, relationship issues aren’t about one big moment, but about patterns that slowly wear you down over time. You might notice ongoing communication breakdowns, frequent conflict, emotional distance, or a growing lack of trust or respect. Even when you care deeply about the relationship, it may start to feel exhausting, one-sided, or hard to be yourself.
Some people describe feeling constantly on edge in their relationships and unsure how to bring things up. Often, they are worried about reactions or carrying a quiet sense of resentment and unhappiness. You may feel devalued, unappreciated, or like your needs are consistently pushed aside. Over time, these dynamics can leave you feeling disconnected not only from the relationship but from yourself as well.
Common Signs that Relationship Challenges May Be Affecting You Include:
Ongoing communication problems, such as misunderstandings, avoidance, or conversations that never seem to lead to resolution
Frequent or circular arguments that feel draining rather than productive
Emotional or physical distance, including a lack of closeness or intimacy
Trust issues, jealousy, or feeling unsafe being open and vulnerable
Feeling disrespected, criticized, or taken for granted
A sense of losing yourself, hiding your thoughts or feelings to keep the peace
Feeling like you’re doing most of the emotional work or effort in the relationship
Persistent resentment, dread, or exhaustion after interactions
Feeling stuck or obligated to stay, even when the relationship no longer feels healthy
If any of this resonates, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that your relationship is beyond help. These patterns are signals that something important needs attention. Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI can offer a space to slow down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin shifting dynamics into a more supportive and sustainable way.
I Want to Help You Feel More Confident in Your Relationships
At Forward Outlook Counseling, I work with people who care deeply about their relationships but feel worn down by the effort it takes to keep them going. You might find yourself constantly trying to say the right thing, avoid conflict, or hold everything together. This can leave you feeling resentful, disconnected, or unsure of yourself. Over time, it can start to feel like you’re losing sight of who you are just to keep the relationship afloat. In relationship therapy, I help you slow down and better understand what’s been shaping your experiences with others. This often means exploring how past relationships, family dynamics, or early attachment patterns have shaped your present. We'll look at how these experiences influence the way you communicate, set boundaries, and respond to closeness or conflict.
Many people begin to realize that behaviors like people-pleasing, emotional avoidance, or fear of abandonment developed for understandable reasons. These behaviors don’t mean there is something “wrong” with them. As a relationship therapist in Lansing, MI, my focus is on helping you reconnect with your needs and values so your relationships feel more balanced and authentic. Together, we work on building self-awareness, improving communication, and setting boundaries that feel supportive rather than rigid. Over time, many people feel more confident expressing themselves, trusting their instincts, and showing up more fully in their relationships. Relationship therapy isn’t about changing who you are to fit others. It’s about helping you feel grounded and secure, being yourself with the people who matter most.
How I Approach Relationship Therapy
My approach to relationship therapy is collaborative, intuitive, and grounded in understanding how you show up in your relationships. At Forward Outlook Counseling, I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all way to work through relationship concerns. Instead, we focus on what feels most important to you and what’s happening in your relationships right now, not what you “should” be feeling or doing. In our work together, we spend time making sense of patterns that may be keeping you stuck. This can include how you communicate during conflict and how you respond to closeness or distance. We'll also explore how past relationships or family dynamics continue to influence your connections today.
Often, people begin to recognize that patterns like people-pleasing, emotional avoidance, or over-functioning once served a purpose, even if they’re no longer working. When it’s supportive, I may draw from approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I also incorporate attachment-based work and mindfulness-based strategies. These tools are used thoughtfully, with the goal of helping you feel more confident expressing your needs, setting boundaries, and responding differently in relationships. Relationship therapy isn’t about changing who you are; it’s about helping you feel more secure, grounded, and aligned in how you relate to others.
Frequently asked questions about relationship Therapy
When relationships feel difficult, it’s common to second-guess yourself. You might wonder whether what you’re dealing with is just “part of relationships,” whether you should be able to handle it on your own, or if therapy is really necessary. Many people come to relationship therapy feeling unsure where to start or what kind of support would actually be helpful. The questions below reflect concerns I often hear from people exploring Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI, and are meant to offer clarity around what relationship-focused therapy can look like and who it may be helpful for.
FAQs
-
Relationship therapy can support many different types of relationships, not just romantic partnerships. I work with people navigating challenges with partners, friendships, family members, and workplace relationships. Some clients come in focused on one specific relationship, while others notice similar patterns showing up across multiple connections. Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI, offers space to explore how you relate to others, what feels difficult or draining, and how those dynamics may be affecting your emotional well-being. Therapy can help you feel more clear, confident, and grounded in how you show up in relationships over time.
-
Yes, relationship therapy does not require another person to attend sessions with you. Many people come to therapy individually to work on communication patterns, boundaries, attachment concerns, or healing from past relationships. Even when others aren’t involved in the therapy process, individual work can lead to meaningful changes in how you respond, express yourself, and navigate connection. Working one-on-one with a relationship therapist in Lansing, MI, allows the focus to stay on your experiences, needs, and goals. Often, shifts within one person can positively influence relationships without anyone else being present.
-
Relationship therapy can be very helpful when family dynamics feel overwhelming, tense, or emotionally draining. Family-related concerns may include conflict with parents or siblings, challenges with in-laws, or caregiving stress. It can also address addiction, mental health issues within the family, and navigating the complexities of grief and loss. Therapy provides a space to explore roles, boundaries, and emotional responses that may have developed over time. Many people find that understanding family patterns helps them feel less stuck or reactive. Relationship therapy can support healthier ways of communicating and relating while honoring your limits and well-being.
-
I work with a wide range of relationship concerns involving romantic partners, friendships, family relationships, and workplace dynamics. Common issues include communication problems, trust concerns, unresolved conflict, intimacy challenges, financial stress, and difficulty navigating life transitions. Friendship concerns may involve feeling unappreciated, growing apart, or struggling with jealousy or imbalance. Family issues can include addiction, mental health challenges, grief, caregiving responsibilities, or ongoing conflict. Relationship Problems Therapy in Lansing, MI, offers support for understanding these challenges and working toward healthier, more balanced connections.
-
Relationship therapy begins with taking time to understand your specific concerns and what’s been happening in your relationships. Early sessions focus on gathering information about patterns, emotional responses, and situations that tend to feel especially difficult. From there, we build awareness around triggers, communication styles, and dynamics that may be contributing to conflict, distance, or resentment. Together, we work on developing ways of responding that feel more intentional and aligned with your needs. Therapy moves at a pace that feels manageable, with the goal of helping relationships feel less exhausting and more supportive.
-
Couples therapy typically involves two people attending sessions together to work on communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, and relationship satisfaction. Relationship therapy focuses on one person’s experience within their relationships. This may include working through a breakup, divorce, or a difficult family relationship. It can also help you heal from the end of a friendship or address patterns that show up across multiple relationships. Relationship therapy allows space to focus on your growth, needs, and boundaries, even when others aren’t involved. Both approaches can be helpful, depending on what support you’re seeking.
-
My work is grounded in a person-centered approach, and I may draw from different therapy modalities depending on what you’re working through. This can include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to explore thought patterns, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you respond differently to difficult emotions, and Attachment-Based Therapy to understand relationship dynamics. It also involves mindfulness-based strategies to support emotional regulation.
Rather than following a set formula, these approaches are woven into sessions in a way that fits your needs and goals. Some sessions may focus more on insight and reflection, while others may center around building practical skills or working through specific relationship challenges. The intention is always to support growth that feels realistic and sustainable, not overwhelming or forced.
-
It’s common to wonder whether therapy will help, especially if relationship patterns have been present for a long time. Relationship therapy often supports increased self-awareness, stronger communication skills, and greater confidence in expressing needs and boundaries. Many people notice they respond differently in relationships, feel less anxious or avoidant, and trust themselves more over time. Progress tends to happen gradually, with small shifts that add up to meaningful change. Working with a relationship therapist in Lansing, MI allows therapy to adapt as your needs and goals evolve.
-
When you’re ready to begin Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI, the first step is reaching out to me at sarah@forwardoutlookcounseling.com or completing the contact form. We’ll schedule an initial consultation to talk through what you’re looking for and make sure therapy feels like a good fit. If we move forward, you’ll receive a link to complete initial paperwork. From there, we’ll schedule your first session, either in person or virtually. Therapy begins by focusing on what feels most important to you right now.
-
At Forward Outlook Counseling, relationship therapy is a space to pause and take an honest look at what’s been feeling difficult or unsustainable in your relationships. If you’re considering Relationship Therapy in Lansing, MI, this work isn’t about blaming yourself or figuring out who’s “right.” It’s about understanding patterns, emotions, and dynamics that may be leaving you feeling disconnected, resentful, or unsure how to move forward. Therapy offers support in slowing things down so you can respond more intentionally instead of staying stuck in the same cycles.
Many people begin relationship therapy feeling uncertain about where to start or whether their concerns are “enough” to seek support. You don’t need a clear plan or a specific outcome in mind. Working with a relationship therapist in Lansing, MI, can begin by talking through what feels hard to communicate. You might explore what keeps repeating or where you feel like you’re losing yourself in relationships. Over time, therapy becomes a place to build clarity, confidence, and stronger boundaries, both with others and with yourself. If you’re ready to take the next step, you’re welcome to begin in a way that feels manageable:
Reach out by email or through the contact form to schedule an initial consultation
Learn more about me and how I approach relationship therapy
Begin therapy in a space that supports honesty, reflection, and meaningful change
-
At Forward Outlook Counseling, relationship therapy is one area of focus, but it’s not the only kind of support available. Many people come to therapy for one concern and later realize other areas of their life deserve attention as well. What feels most important to work on now may shift over time, and therapy can adjust as your needs change.
In addition to relationship-focused work, I offer therapy for women and college students in Lansing, MI. I also provide support for concerns such as anxiety, trauma, narcissistic abuse, and ongoing emotional stress. These experiences often overlap, and therapy isn’t limited to working on just one issue at a time. We focus on what’s showing up for you, allowing the work to move where it’s most helpful.
There’s no single path or timeline for therapy. You’re welcome to explore services that feel aligned with where you are right now, emotionally, relationally, and within the pace of your daily life. Therapy is meant to meet you where you are and continue to shift as your goals and understanding evolve.