Couples encounter many challenges in everyday life, from job stress to family responsibilities and more. Intimacy can often become the final bastion of comfort and connection, so when roadblocks appear in this area, many couples are unsure what to do. The good news is that couples therapy can provide concrete strategies to improve intimacy, whether the disconnect is arising from distance, physical frustrations, or something else.
It is common for both men and women to struggle with intimate connection, often multiple times throughout their lives. Thankfully, such instances can be detours, not the new normal. Learn more about some of the common roadblocks that stand in the way of intimacy and how couples therapy can help.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common reasons why sexual contact decreases in a relationship, especially as people age into their 40s, 50s, and beyond. However, it can impact anyone, and there is no reason to be ashamed.
A person might be diagnosed with ED if they have trouble achieving or maintaining an erection, and this impacts their ability to pursue intimacy in the way they hope to. Stress, aging, cardiovascular issues, and lifestyle habits can all contribute.
When a man experiences erectile dysfunction, he may have lower self-esteem and intimacy struggles. He might feel that he has become disconnected from his partner, frustrated that he cannot express himself in the way he wants. If this sounds like you, you are not alone; as many as 30 to 50 million men in the U.S. experience challenges due to ED.
Menopause
Like men, women may also experience physical changes that bring frustration in their intimate lives. Menopause accompanies the end of a woman’s reproductive years, when hormonal balance shifts away from the cycle of menses. This can lead to hot flashes, mood changes, decreased libido, and vaginal dryness, all of which may make sex less enjoyable or even uncomfortable.
The emotional impact from the changes during menopause can be significant: frustration, a feeling of self-consciousness, a drop in a woman’s sense of self-worth, and feelings of emotional distance from their partner.
On average, women will begin to experience menopause around age 51, and symptoms can last as long as eight years. During this time, it is still possible to maintain an exciting, intimate life, but it often takes intention.
The Relationship Connection
Even if couples are addressing the physical symptoms of their body’s changes, the relational toll can still remain. Both ED and menopause can create a sense of loss, distance, or frustration in couples, and misunderstanding each other’s struggles often deepens the divide. Communication breakdown is a common theme during this time; after all, a person with male features will not understand what going through menopause is like, and vice versa.
As couples struggle to articulate how they feel and how that is impacting their intimacy (desire, energy, ability, and so on), they may begin to think that they are undesirable or unable to fulfill their partner. This is where couples therapy in Baltimore can help!
Couples Counseling as a Solution
Couples counseling cannot address the medical side of roadblocks such as ED or menopause; this is the role of a physician, who might have prescriptions or other treatments to help. However, therapists are exclusively able to provide insight into the less tangible changes that may occur during these relational shifts.
Think of counseling as a restart button to help couples find connection and passion again. Therapists can help to achieve that by:
- Normalizing issues to remove any stigma or blame that might be subconsciously impacting how partners view each other and themselves
- Guiding couples to build empathy
- Providing concrete strategies for improving intimacy despite physical challenges
- Teaching communication skills, such as open dialogue and listening to hear, not listening to respond
- Practicing stress reduction to help couples relax and embrace their current growing connection
In many cases, restoring intimacy takes practice, just as other skills do. If couples approach their disconnects with intention, they can often find a greater bond.
Start Couples Therapy in Baltimore, MD Today
When passion seems to fade and romance has dulled in your relationship, it can feel difficult to bounce back. Emotional disconnect and physical challenges can put your intimate connection on a detour, but similar to a detour on a road trip, you can find your way back to where you want to be if you plan your path with intention. Couples therapy in Baltimore, MD can give you the tools you need to approach roadblocks with confidence. Contact Village Counseling to try a session and see how you can begin building your bond into something stronger than ever.