With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it may be time to examine how we can strengthen our relationships with our significant others. Romantic relationships can be complicated and require lots of effort, communication and care to remain healthy. It may feel isolating when we don’t know where to turn to discuss our relationships, whether it be to discuss a specific problem or a general worry. Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help you empower your relationship with your significant other both on and off campus!
Couple’s Enrichment
The Barnes Center at The Arch offers multiple relationship support services to undergraduate and graduate Syracuse University students, the first being Couple’s Enrichment. This experience is different from Couple’s Counseling as it focuses on strengthening skills as opposed to targeting specific relationship issues. Enrichment is a great option for all couples at all stages of a romantic relationship, and it gives participants the ability to work on important skills like communication, conflict resolution, stress management and intimacy.
Couple’s Counseling
The second relationship support service the Barnes Center offers is Couple’s Counseling. Couple’s Counseling is designed to help couples process thoughts, behaviors and patterns that contribute to specific relationship issues. Counselors can help couples with issues such as adjusting to cohabitating, balancing a co-parenting relationship, creating and maintaining intimacy, healing after infidelity, resolving sexual issues and strengthening trust.
Relationshi* Happens Workshop
Relationshi* Happens is a free, in-person workshop offered by the Barnes Center that provides an engaging experience with your partner, friend or roommate to begin building an understanding of relational wellness. You will discuss everything from general relational wellness, communication, conflict management, family of origin/experience and other topics that would support student relational wellness! You can register for Relationshi* Happens sessions through the Wellness Portal.
The Couple and Family Therapy Center
The Couple and Family Therapy Center (CFTC) is Falk College’s therapy service located at Peck Hall on Genesee Street. CFTC offers confidential therapy services to families, couples and individuals who are struggling with life’s challenges. The most common issues addressed here include resolving relationship difficulties, easing communication struggles and affirming diverse gender experiences. CFTC offers a variety of treatment options, such as talk therapy, play therapy and sand tray interventions.
Cardinal Hope Couples Counseling
Cardinal Hope Counseling is a mental health counseling service located in downtown Syracuse. They focus on addressing trauma, anxiety and relationship issues through individual and couples therapy. Their expert couples therapy targets communication breakdowns, trust issues and reoccurring patterns of conflict to strengthen and repair relationships. Their goal is to help couples create fulfilling and harmonious relationships. If this sounds relevant to you and your partner, you can contact Cardinal Hope for a free consultation.
Syracuse Couples Events
If couples counseling doesn’t sound relevant to you and your partner, but you are still looking for opportunities to spend more time together, consider looking into events specifically for couples in the Syracuse area. For example, a “Love Day” Couples Painting Event is being held on Sunday, Feb. 11, in downtown Syracuse. There are many couples’ events and classes to check out, especially around Valentine’s Day. Visit an event site to see what’s happening near you.
Everyone deserves to feel happy, safe and loved in their relationship, but this is not always easy. No relationship is perfect, so sometimes it’s more than okay to ask for outside help. Whether there is a specific problem affecting your relationship or you’re just looking for ways to strengthen what’s already there, there are plenty of options all over Syracuse. You just need to find what’s right for you and your partner.
The Peel wishes you a happy Valentine’s Day!
Written By Madison Manczko ’24, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
This article is for reference purposes only and is not deemed an endorsement by Syracuse University.