If only relationships could be perfect and you felt undying love for your partner. Imagine if you never argued and didn't have hurdles to overcome. But wouldn't that leave relationships homogeneous and bland?

Harmony is important to long-term relationship health. But it's the testing times that strengthen a relationship. Not from Nancy's point of view. At 39 and after two divorces, she was looking for answers to why she was unable to persevere in a relationship long term. She simply hadn't been looking in the right place.

It's unsettling when you meet a perfectionist, yet Nancy was in a different league. Perfectionists have “domains” that matter most - their looks, their career performance, their home. But Nancy's perfectionism wreaked havoc in her relationships and other areas of her life. She expected perfect behaviour at all times from a partner. She wanted the romance to be flawless. And the roses too.

What do you find when peeking behind the slick and perfect façade of somebody such as Nancy? Imperfections like the rest of us, but also long-held anxieties driving her to be better.

However, Nancy was ready to change as she wanted children. She was prepared to acknowledge that her insecurities were feeding her behaviour. She was attempting to keep these at bay by being “perfect” - for her, the only way she was loveable.

I suggested a regime of “letting go”. She tried relaxing about things and not choosing the film to see or place to dine. She went along with what others wanted - and identified the roots of her insecurities. Finally, she accepted she was just everyone else: imperfect...but loveable.