Relational therapy is a therapeutic approach that was founded on the belief that a person must have fulfilling and satisfying relationships with the people around them in order to be emotionally healthy. Relational therapy handles emotional and psychological distress by looking at the client’s patterns of behavior and experiences in interpersonal relationships, taking social factors, such as race, class, culture, and gender, into account. Relational therapy can be useful in the treatment of many issues, but is especially successful when working with individuals seeking to address long-term emotional distress, particularly when that distress related to relationships. Relational therapy will help clients learn skills to create and maintain healthy relationships. Think this approach might be right for you? Reach out to one of TherapyDen’s relational therapy experts today.
A relational approach is humanistic and person-centered. It views individuals as containing an innate capacity to heal from within; we can understand our problems and have the resources within ourselves to resolve them. Therapy from a relational perspective rests in the relationship between the client and therapist, has a flexible structure, and is minimally directive.
— Rebecca Bruno, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Pasadena, CAI use Relational Therapy in a lot of my work with clients. Humans are relational beings and are constantly impacted by the relationships they hold. Having good relationships is essential for our wellbeing.
— Melissa Urbanek, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in , MNI have been trained with a strong foundation in relational psychodynamic therapy. Moreover, my therapeutic approach of choice is relational cultural therapy. RCT focuses on authentic healing connections as I have described throughout my profile.
— Meg Blattner, Psychologist in Lutherville-Timonium, MDOur relationships with our partners, friendships, & selves are deeply connected to whether we felt heard, understood, & safe growing up. I provide individual & relational therapy with the goal of understanding this context & how it impacts us in order to effectively address problems that you're experiencing today.
— MacKenzie Knapp, Marriage & Family Therapist in Tacoma, WAThe number one predictor of satisfaction with the therapeutic experience is the strength of the bond between the client and the therapist. Creating a foundation of trust and comfort for the client is of the utmost importance to me, as it allows us to explore problematic relationships with family, friends, and partners. Through this collaborative journey, you will learn to handle conflict in a variety of social settings and develop relationship skills such as patience, self-confidence, and trust.
— Nicole Bermensolo, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CAA relational orientation to therapy is marked by a contextual understanding of a client’s experience, including intra and interpersonal aspects. By means of relational language (stories and metaphors) and embodied learning (mind-body connection), I invite clients to tap into their own resourcefulness to create new connections (e.g., alternative ways of thinking about a problem, re-evaluation of what has been considered as a problem, and the dusting-off of hidden resources).
— Jimena Castro, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Hollywood, FLI love working with couples, partners, families (and even close friends) to address and repair their relationships. I help these clients understand more about their relationships, grow deeper together with their loved ones, and move towards healthy and balanced relationships. No one is an island, and working with the relationships themselves can help lasting change come to fruition and be sustained.
— Brittany Steckel, Licensed Professional Counselor in Littleton, COPsychodynamic psychotherapy brings a more rational lens to psychoanalytic therapy. Here, the relationship between therapist and client is key to helping process and heal past and present relational wounds.
— Spaces Therapy, Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CABased on the large body of evidence that the therapeutic relationship is a key determinant of successful treatment, much of my work is framed by a relational and psychodynamic approach. I prioritize creating a safe and healing relational experience and believe that most mental health symptoms cannot be fully treated without addressing their unconscious roots. Experiencing care and support in the context of the therapeutic relationship can be just as important as the specific interventions.
— Brooke Ferragamo, Clinical Psychologist in San Francisco, CAI am a relational therapist, and I am comfortable working with clients on various issues that arise in their relationships. For nearly the past five years, I have facilitated a "Healthy Relationships" group. Some of the recurring relational therapy topics are social factors, such as culture, race, class, heteronormativity, and intersectionality. Relational therapy is helpful when an individual is experiencing some discomfort from their intimate, professional, family, or social relationships.
— Uriah Cty M.A., LMFT # 121606, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CAWe do not live in isolation, and our relationships to others and to our communities and culture influence us in many ways. Relational therapy aims to understand how the relationships in our lives and cultural/systemic forces shape who we are, and how we are doing in turn influences our relationships. The therapeutic relationship offers a direct experiential opportunity for us to explore and work on relationship dynamics.
— Nick Vaske, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Portland, ORTrained to focus on therapeutic relationship, transference, and countertransference.
— K. Chinwe Idigo, Psychologist in Teaneck NJ 07666, NJMy clinical perspective is rooted in self-inquiry and the non-duality of the Advaita Vedanta tradition which holds the understanding that we all have our own inner wisdom that is clear, compassionate and whole. I draw upon my many years of clinical experience, study and meditation to support clients in opening to their true selves.
— Janet Weber, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Half Moon Bay, CAPeople often struggle emotionally when they feel disconnected from others. In therapy, I provide a safe space where you can be accepted for being your authentic self and practice being vulnerable. By experiencing a deeper connection in therapy, you are able to strengthen your other relationships.
— Dr. Emma Nowicki, Clinical Psychologist in Washington, DCRelational therapy understands that our lives are shaped by our relationships, and they are integral to our health and happiness. Relationships impact every area of our life.
— Rebecca Newton, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Redondo Beach, CARelational psychotherapy, can help individuals recognize the role relationships play in the shaping of daily experiences, attempts to help people understand patterns appearing in the thoughts and feelings they have toward themselves. Based on the idea that strong and fulfilling relationships with others can help people maintain emotional well-being, long-term emotional distress, especially when distress occurs as a result of relational concerns.
— Anna Keelty, Clinical Social Worker in Seattle, WA