My (21F) relationship would be perfect if my partner (20M) went to therapy
TL;DR - Partner won’t let me hang out with guy friends. Not sure what to do.
I’m having trouble handling this situation with my partner. We’ve been together for almost 9 months. He has an issue with any scenario where I’m one-on-one with a guy, friend or not. Honestly, even in group settings with guys, there’s always something that I did wrong. He also doesn’t like me going to bars, parties, or clubs since “guys are going to flirt with me.” He claims that he doesn’t trust other guy’s intentions and that it’s not about trust between us. I believe that this is not a realistic view for him to have and that it comes from a place of trauma and insecurity. He has been cheated on in two different relationships and had abandoned issues from his mother. I originally (and stupidly!) agreed to having no guy friends without realizing how impactful that would be. After expressing my frustration, he accused me of neglecting his feelings because if anything changes in my favor (not his words) it would make him uncomfortable.
I’ve expressed many times that I feel like his views are controlling and unhealthy but he is certain that he’s right. I don’t believe this is truly who he is as a person but I do think it’s a response from his trauma, so I want to work on it. How do I get him to realize his actions are negatively affecting me? Do I guide him into therapy and, if so, how?
Any comments, advice or not, are appreciated!
Posted Jul 29, 2025, 6:14 AM UTC