50 Plus
Relationships in mid and later life
Many 50+plus couples wake up one day and wonder if they really know the person next to them. A lot of couples face a readjustment to their relationship in mid and later life. This is often the period when children have reached their teens and are leaving home and when couples often question their roles and the future of their life together.
You may be starting to think about possible early retirement or how you will manage financially in the coming years. As a woman you may be going through the physical and emotional aspects of the menopause. As a man you may be going through a mid life crisis or be affected by reduction in male hormone levels.
All of these changes can lead a couple to feel they don't know each other very well. After so much effort put into family and work life, you may be discovering that the last time you had a conversation about yourselves was years ago.
Ideally, you should go to counselling together: it's hard to build a team if only half the players are there. Often, if one person makes the decision to give counselling a try, the partner will decide to go too.
If your partner doesn’t want to join you, there are lots of things counselling can help you sort out on your own. There may be changes you can make alone that will have a positive impact on your relationship. Some people also prefer to have counselling on their own at first to work out their feelings before seeing another counsellor together.