Dating and Relationships Counseling In Austin, TX

Both people tell the truth and can count on each other. You can disagree without fear. Decisions are shared, and each of you keeps your own friends and interests. It goes both ways: you both put effort in, and you both get something back.

Some things are never part of a healthy relationship, during it or after. The CDC counts stalking (repeated, unwanted contact) and psychological aggression as forms of partner violence, and that includes former partners. If an ex won’t let go, that isn’t love.

Trust builds slowly, through small promises kept and through how someone acts when things are hard. Share a little at a time and see how it’s handled. Once you’ve each earned it, give the benefit of the doubt, and say what you feel without attacking. If trust has been broken, repair is possible in many relationships, but not in one that’s abusive. Our post on rebuilding trust in relationships goes deeper.

There’s no test, but a few signs help. You’ve had some time on your own and you’ve been taking care of yourself. You can think about your exes without much bitterness, and you have some idea what you’d do differently. You feel curious about meeting people, not desperate. If you mostly want someone to make the pain stop, work on the pain first. Casual dating can be a fine way to ease back in.

Readiness looks different for everyone. Some questions to sit with:

• Is an old breakup still running the show?
• Do you know what sets you off, and can you calm yourself down?
• Can you let someone see who you are now and who you want to be?
• Does commitment feel exciting, or like a cage?
• When things get hard in a relationship, do you bounce back?
• Do you believe a relationship takes ongoing effort, and that it will keep changing?
• Do you still believe lasting love is possible for you?

If several answers make you wince, that’s useful information, not a verdict. It’s also a good place to start in therapy.

Give yourself time. Differences in experience can stir up jealousy, anxiety or shame, and those feelings deserve attention rather than a lecture. If your partner’s past includes something painful, acknowledge it. Then come back to the present: what you each want now, and what you’re building together. You have a past too.

Dating and relationship counseling is individual therapy. The focus is you: your patterns, your attachment style and your relationship with yourself, whether or not you’re seeing anyone. Couples therapy is two partners working on their relationship together.

No. Many people who come in are single, taking a break, getting over a breakup, or want to understand their patterns before they date again.

If the same thing keeps happening (the same type of person, the same way it ends, the same feeling about yourself), it’s worth a look. Nothing has to be on fire.

Yes. App fatigue is common. Therapy can help you decide what you want, set limits on how much you swipe, and take rejection less personally.

It depends on your plan. We’re in network with Aetna, EHN/WebTPA, Harbor Health, Nomi Health and Sana, though not every therapist takes every plan. If we’re out of network, we’ll give you a superbill to submit for possible reimbursement. Individual sessions with a licensed therapist are $145 to $215. See our rates and insurance page for details, or contact us with questions.

It depends on what you’re working on. Some people get what they came for in a few months; others stay longer. You and your therapist set the pace and check in on it along the way.

If you’re in danger right now, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and confidential, 24 hours a day: call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org. If you’re having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988. Once you’re safe, a therapist can help you plan next steps.