Couples Therapy Can Help
We all know romantic relationships are hard work. Like cars, they require regular maintenance to keep them running well.If there is a problem, it’s best to have it repaired right away to avoid further complications down the road. behavioral couples therapy and the help of a licensed professional may be the best for the relationship. This type of relationship counseling is emotionally focused on improving relationship satisfaction and conflict resolution between a couple.
What Is Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which a licensed therapist with clinical experience working with couples, most often a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), helps people involved in a romantic relationship gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict, and improve relationship satisfaction utilizing a variety of therapeutic interventions.
Research conducted by the American Association of Marriage and Family concluded that over 97% of surveyed couples got the help they needed from couples therapy. In addition, 93% of couples said therapy gave them more effective tools for dealing with conflict.
Who Should Consider Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy is beneficial for any kind of relationship, including:
- Straight relationships
- Interracial relationships
- Relationships with a large age gap
- Relationships that are at any stage, including dating, engaged, or married
For example, a recently engaged couple might find premarital counseling an invaluable opportunity to address relationship expectations prior to getting married. Another couple, together 25 years, might discover marriage counseling as an effective way for them to regain a sense of excitement and romance in their relationship.
What To Expect in Couples Therapy
Don’t know what to expect in each couples therapy session? Typically, the first couples therapy session begins with some standard interview questions regarding the history of the relationship as well as deep diving into each partner’s family-of-origin, values, and cultural background. The therapist or marriage counselor also might use the initial sessions for crisis intervention if necessary.
The couples therapist will then assist the couple in identifying the issue that will be the focus of treatment, establishing treatment goals and planning a structure for treatment for each counseling session.
During treatment, the therapist will help the couple gain insight into the relational dynamics creating the problem and guide both partners to understand their roles in the dysfunctional interactions. This greater insight on relationship issues and distress will help them change the way they perceive the relationship and each other.
Although gaining insight is important, another crucial aspect of couples therapy involves actually changing behaviors. Couples therapists will often assign partners homework to apply the skills they have learned in therapy to their day-to-day interactions.
