Relationship and attachment difficulties rarely exist in isolation. They are often the expression of deeper, unconscious patterns — ways we learned to seek closeness or avoid it. In psychoanalytic therapy, these patterns are recognised and worked through.

How relationship difficulties show up

Relationship difficulties often show up as a pattern: you find yourself in a similar situation again, with a different person but the same ending. You may fear being abandoned, or withdraw before you ever get truly close. Sometimes it is hard to say what you need, or you are always attuned to others' needs while your own go unnoticed. These ways of relating once developed as a sensible solution, which is why they persist even when they limit you more than they protect you today.

A psychoanalytic view of relationship difficulties

Relational patterns are rarely formed in adulthood — they mostly trace back to early attachment experiences that shaped what we learned to expect from closeness. These patterns then repeat across significant relationships, often including the therapeutic one itself.

Psychoanalytic work on relationship difficulties therefore involves not only discussing a partner or family member, but observing how a similar pattern appears in the relationship with the therapist herself.

Psychotherapy for relationship difficulties in practice

In practice, this means the therapist actively observes how the client behaves within the relationship itself.

How I work with relationship difficulties

The relationship between us is an important resource in therapy. When a pattern you know from other relationships appears in our conversation, we can observe it as it happens, rather than only reporting on it. This allows an experience that talking about the past cannot give on its own. Sessions are weekly, in Ljubljana or by video call.

Partner and relationship problems — help in Ljubljana

I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy for relationship difficulties in Ljubljana or online (by video call). At the beginning we agree on three introductory sessions (45–50 minutes each), in which you see how I work and whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy suits you. After that we agree on regular weekly sessions.

If the same patterns keep repeating in your relationships, if you find it hard to get close to others or feel threatened by closeness, we can explore together where these patterns come from.

More about how psychotherapy works and how to book an appointment.

Frequently asked questions about relationship difficulties

Does psychotherapy help with relationship difficulties?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy for relationship difficulties does not look only for a way to ease the difficulty, but for an understanding of what it is communicating. I work with the causes of distress and not only with the distress as expressed. Once we find the cause, and during the psychotherapeutic process, symptoms often ease or disappear.

How long does psychotherapy for relationship difficulties take?

Duration is individual and depends on the therapeutic goal and on how long the difficulties have been present. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can last from a few months to a few years. One session lasts 45 to 50 minutes; usually once a week, and by arrangement sometimes several times a week.

Can I come alone if I have difficulties in my relationship?

Yes. This is individual psychotherapy, not couples therapy. Together we explore how you experience relationships and which patterns keep repeating in them.