Enhancing Relationships through Therapy

Every month, Council for Relationships highlights one of our staff therapists on the blog. February’s Featured Therapist Nicki Nathan, MFT, has a background in psychiatry and is a graduate of our Post Graduate Certificate Training Program.

As humans, we crave and need connection.

Much of the current research focuses on the association between our close relationships and our general health and happiness. Individuals whose relationships are unsatisfying or frustrating, have higher rates of physical and mental illness, as well as shorter life expectancy.

My focus within therapy is on relationships.

I like to focus on communication and authenticity, with the aim being to improve a client’s connections to friends and family. We can improve relationships in couple or family therapy by working on the relationship right there in the room. In individual therapy, clients can work on their relationships in real and profound ways. When a person alters the way they interact in a relationship, it can lead to a sequence of changes. Even just the process of verbalizing thoughts and feelings can put one in a more creative mental space, which can lead to real change.

The goal (or goals) of therapy will vary depending on the client. The first task in therapy is to try and articulate goals. This can be challenging. Often times, clients come to therapy but they are not clear on what they want to be different, or how things could be different. The clearer we can be about what our goals in therapy are, the better we can work together. Additionally, goals often change during the course of therapy, so we can revisit this conversation as often as we need to.