You work hard on your relationship, trying to make things better.
You try to get your spouse to hear your pain, to realize that things need to change. But that’s falling on deaf ears. He says things are fine, or that you’re the problem. Or he doesn’t believe in telling strangers all his personal problems.
Sometimes you wonder why you’re working so hard to improve things, when your partner isn’t. Every time you try to talk about it, they shut down or walks away.
You suggest counseling. But your partner refuses to go or can’t find the time.
This is a common scenario that can feel hopeless, but we’re here to tell you that it is absolutely not hopeless. When your partner won’t get help for your relationship, there’s still a lot you can do to improve things, and one of them is to get help for yourself. “Counseling for one” can be enormously helpful, even when couples counseling would perhaps be preferred.