Reimagining Relationships Workshop 3: Confronting conflict

The way we pursue intimate relationships has changed enormously over the last few decades, and that change only seems to be accelerating.

Where previously there had been a defined set of shared cultural ideas about what people were looking for in relationships, and a clear path (the so-called “relationship escalator”) that everyone was expected to follow - from dating; to sexual exclusivity and moving in together; to marriage, mortgage and, kids - all of that is now, more than ever, being called into question.

As the old model is increasingly contested, people are having to grapple with a whole set of complex questions about intimate relationships that have far-reaching implications for how they live their lives.

• Do I want the most meaningful relationships in my life to be romantic and sexual; or something else?
• Do I want to have economic commitments with a romantic partner, like sharing finances and buying a home together?
• Do I want to have children and, if I do want children, do I want to raise them in a “nuclear” family?
• Is monogamy important to me?
• Do I want to share deep emotional intimacy exclusively with a romantic partner? Do I draw a clear line between romantic relationships and friendships, and if so, how?
• Do I want to live with a romantic partner, or would I actually rather live by myself, or with other important people?

The cultural questioning of long-standing relationship assumptions is simultaneously freeing and frightening. The old model worked badly for many people, but it at least provided us with some sort of shared roadmap.

How are we to navigate this new terrain when that shared roadmap no longer exists?

This workshop series “Relationships Reimagined” will help participants answer some of these questions for themselves.

It is offered by the Hedgerow Therapy Collective, a group of therapists committed to increasing the availability of inclusive, high quality, low cost therapy. Members of the collective all share an interest in alternative relationship and family structures, and have supported many clients through the process of exploring these kinds of questions. They created this workshop series to share tools and insights they have developed over the course of their practice, and facilitate a wider space for this kind of reflection.

Workshop 3: Confronting conflict

“Conflict” is a scary word for many people. In this workshop, we hope to show that conflict is an inevitable and, in fact, healthy part of all human relationships - though that doesn’t necessarily make it any less scary! 

We will unpack common counterproductive approaches to conflict - and explore how they can arise as ways to manage difficult emotions. This will be a practical workshop, exploring different strategies for navigating conflict and reclaiming it as a source of creativity within a relationship.