Why Do Couples Need Therapy?
There are many reasons couples attend therapy. Sometimes it’s to deal with the past, and other times to deal with challenges in the present or to prepare for the future. Regardless of the reason, couples therapy helps couples find solutions to create their best relationship. In this article, we will explore some of the common reasons couples seek counseling.
What is Couples Therapy?
Establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship can be challenging, even under the best circumstances. As with all relationships, our intimate relationships come with their share of highs and lows, joy and anger, and differences in opinion. When conflicts remain unresolved, they continue to build over time, negatively impacting the relationship’s dynamic. Couples therapy is a form of psychotherapy designed to help you and your partner improve your relationship. If you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship, couples therapy can help.
Improve Communication
Many couples have difficulty communicating positively and constructively. Even worse, when communication is difficult, some couples stop talking altogether. Without communication, couples are not able to work through important issues and challenges in their relationship, such as finances, parenting, and being affectionate, etc. We are all brought up with different ways of communicating. Some of these learned behaviors and habits are positive, and some are negative. Therapy can help couples learn to communicate in a manner that positively impacts their relationship.
Couples therapy can help address:
- Infidelity
- Trauma
- Difficulties with communication
- Recurring conflict
- Anxiety
- Parenting concerns
- Financial struggles
- Trust
- Rebuilding intimacy
- And more
To Build Trust
When someone you love breaks your trust, it can be difficult to forgive them and move forward. Even when the breach of trust happened long ago, couples therapy can help. Couples therapy is designed to help couples identify and understand what is hurting each other. It can also help to create healthy patterns and behaviors to avoid hurting one another again.
Parenting
Even under the best of conditions, parenting can be very challenging. Every child is different. What works for one child may not work for another. When parents aren’t on the same page regarding rules, discipline, and other aspects of parenting, it can make it even harder. In addition to helping parents reach common ground in terms of parenting styles, couples therapy can help parents develop essential skills, such as how to actively listen, paraphrase and summarize for clarity, and ask for and provide feedback in a clear and helpful manner.
Understand Each Other’s Perspectives
Couples therapy is designed to help each partner better understand the other’s perspectives. In a relationship, it’s common for each partner to view the relationship through their own lens. When we only focus on our own feelings, we tend to overlook our partners’ perspectives. Afterall, we have a deeper understanding of our personal perspective. A therapist can help you objectively consider both sides of a disagreement, enhancing communication now and in the future.
Clarify Feelings
Many couples seek therapy to better understand what they want out of the relationship. Whether you are navigating a specific challenge, trying to repair broken trust, or any other number of concerns, therapy helps couples explore and understand their feelings.
Rekindle Your Romance
Every couple experiences periods where they grow together, and periods where they grow apart. When a couple grows further apart than ever, they may seek therapy to help find their spark again. Counseling can help couples determine ways to grow closer, regaining the connection that brought them together in the first place.
Prepare for Life Changes
Changes can cause shifts in relationship dynamics. Therapy can help couples successfully navigate the changes in their lives. Many couples prefer to prepare for life changes even when the changes are positive, such as the birth of a child, starting a new job, or purchasing a new home.
Trauma
When we experience a traumatic experience, such as death, abuse, violence, illness, or severe injuries, the trauma from those experiences can impact our relationships. Whether the trauma occurred before or after your marriage, it can produce unexpected effects on your relationship. Couples therapy can help identify the source of trauma and provide solutions to heal and find a life beyond the trauma.
BE Psychology
At BE Psychology, we create customized plans designed to address the specific challenges or concerns in your relationship. Our team of experienced therapists and psychologists are trained to help couples navigate the obstacles impacting their relationship so they can live their best life.
Contact a member of our team to schedule your appointment today.
