There’s a common misconception that couples only need couples counseling when their relationship is in crisis. However, couples therapy, or marriage counseling, is a specific type of psychotherapy that helps couples improve their communication skills, learn to recognize and resolve conflicts, build loving relationships, and happy marriages.
Couples counseling is usually short-term, following a specific treatment plan to address your relationship’s needs and weaknesses.
Who should have couples therapy?
Couples therapy is suitable for all types of intimate relationships, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. You may have couples counseling to strengthen your relationship and communication skills, or you may have a specific problem or issue that you need help to resolve such as:
Couples counseling can help deepen your understanding of each other and learn to identify and respect each other’s history and boundaries.
What are the benefits of couples therapy?
Couples counseling can strengthen your relationship and improve the way you and your partner communicate. You learn to be more objective in your relationship and aware of how you and your partner can be more supportive and kinder to each other.
You learn to modify dysfunctional behavior and decrease emotional avoidance. Often learned behaviors or fears prevent you from being your best self in a relationship, and couples counseling can help you and your partner feel confident and committed to your future together.
What should I expect during therapy?
Both you and your partner attend couples counseling sessions together. Your counselor guides conversation around what’s brought you to counseling and what you hope to get out of your sessions. Then, you work together to agree on a treatment plan to resolve issues and strengthen your relationship.
Your counselor may ask questions to help you identify underlying issues that could be feeding into your emotions and responses to your partner, blurring communication, and contributing to your relationship problems.
Your counselor also moderates your conversation, allowing you both to explore and express your feelings, but keeping the discussion focused on the task at hand. You and your partner may also be given “homework” to practice communication techniques between your sessions.
If you’re interested in strengthening your relationship or resolving a specific conflict in your relationship, call The Counseling Center today at (317) 754-0808.