Difficult Relationships

Difficult relationships can leave you feeling drained and unsure of yourself. Therapy offers a space to explore the dynamics you frequently return to and to better understand your role and what and how you can begin to relate in a new way.

You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck

Challenging relationships can leave you caught in cycles of conflict, misunderstanding, or overextending yourself. These patterns can feel inevitable, but they don’t have to define your connections or your emotional wellbeing. Therapy provides a supportive environment to slow down, examine how these dynamics operate, and notice your own contributions, responses, and needs. Over time, this awareness can help you relate to others with more clarity, set healthier boundaries, and feel more grounded in your interactions.

Difficult Relationship

Difficult Relationships Can Look Different for Everyone

While each person’s experiences are unique, common signs include:

Understanding these patterns is often the first step toward creating more balanced and fulfilling connections.

Help

How Therapy Helps With Difficult Relationships

Therapy offers a safe, collaborative space to explore the dynamics that have been shaping your relationships. We work to understand patterns, triggers, and recurring conflicts, helping you see where old habits may no longer serve you.


Through this process, you gain insight into your own needs, emotions, and boundaries, learning how to respond to others in ways that feel authentic and sustainable. Therapy also provides strategies for managing conflict, improving communication, and fostering connection without losing your sense of self.

 

Over time, this work can help you move from reactive patterns to more intentional, grounded ways of relating.

Feeling

Difficult Relationships Isn’t Just Conflict

Relationship challenges often involve more than open disagreements. They can show up as:

Understanding how these patterns operate is a key step toward building more balanced, authentic connections.

counselors

meet your counselors

Erica Oppenheimer

I am a licensed clinical social worker offering therapy for adults who are struggling with anxiety, uncertainty, or a sense of disconnection. Many of the people I work with feel stuck in patterns they can’t fully explain. They may find themselves repeating the same emotional responses or caught in relationships that feel unsatisfying or confusing.

My work is grounded in the belief that symptoms are meaningful. Anxiety, perfectionism, emotional paralysis- these are not just problems to be managed but expressions of something deeper, often rooted in earlier experience or unconscious conflict. In therapy, we create the conditions for those patterns to reveal themselves, so they can be understood and worked through, not just pushed aside.

I offer a space where your thoughts, dreams, and frustrations can be explored freely and with intention. This allows for more lasting change. As we begin to uncover what has remained hidden, many people find that life opens up in new and unexpected ways. The goal is not to become someone else, but to make more sense of who you already are and to find new ways of living that feel more authentic.

Priyanka Parikh

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience supporting adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, insomnia, and major life transitions. My clinical foundation was shaped within the Veterans Affairs system, where I worked across primary care mental health, PTSD treatment, residential programs, and integrated medical settings.

My therapeutic style is collaborative, steady, and clear. I draw from evidence-based approaches including CBT, CPT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions, offering care that is structured enough to support meaningful change while remaining flexible and responsive to each client.

At Branch Lane, I provide a space where clients feel understood and supported as they work toward greater clarity, resilience, and balance. I am deeply committed to culturally responsive, inclusive care and values the full context of each client’s experiences, identities, and story.

Robin Chilton

I am a Licensed Master Social Worker who specializes in supporting women through life transitions, motherhood, and the emotional complexities that often accompany change. I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, mood concerns, trauma, infertility, loss, perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, and the challenges of parenting across stages of life.

My clinical approach is collaborative, attuned, and grounded in psychodynamic and relational frameworks, while integrating cognitive-behavioral strategies, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. I view symptoms not simply as problems to fix, but as meaningful signals that invite careful listening and understanding. I strive to create a reflective, safe space where clients can explore their emotional patterns and develop insight.

My work is informed by extensive experience in early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and family systems. I have served as a lead consultant with New York City child welfare services, providing clinical consultation, training, and case guidance. I have also worked in schools and therapeutic programs supporting children, parents, and families navigating grief, behavioral challenges, and stress from developmental and environmental pressures.

Franny Morken

I am a compassionate therapist specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), helping clients build balance, resilience, and emotional clarity. Grounded in warmth and authenticity, I prioritize strong rapport and genuine validation to create a safe, collaborative space for growth. My approach blends evidence-based DBT techniques with an intuitive understanding of each client’s unique experiences, empowering them to develop skills, strengthen relationships, and move toward a more fulfilling life.

Clients can expect a warm and welcoming environment that is truly their space to learn, grow, and express themselves freely in a safe, non-judgmental setting. I focus on helping individuals develop practical DBT skills that support emotional regulation, healthier relationships, and greater resilience in everyday life.