Couples Therapy
Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can help you and your partner improve your relationship. If you are having relationship difficulties, you can seek couples therapy to help rebuild your relationship. Couples counselling helps if your relationship is under crisis and can also be of great service if you are simply feeling disconnected, or need support in facing new challenges; such as:
- Infidelity
- Parenting conflict
- Financial troubles
- Bereavement
- Family conflict
- Career challenges
- Health issues
- Issues concerning your sex life
Couples therapy can also assist if one partner is suffering from anxiety, depression, or addiction. When a relationship is at breaking point it can seem as if separation or divorce is your only option; however talking through your problems with a trained psychotherapist can help you identify the source of the conflicts and come to understand each others feelings and thoughts reducing conflict.
Benefits of couples therapy
- Finding solutions to longstanding conflicts
- Learning listening and communication skills
- Learn to see new perspectives
- Learn to negotiate and compromise
- Connecting with and supporting each other despite differences
- Learn to communicate without becoming angry
- Seeing new perspectives
What is a session like?
A session is 50 minutes long and each individual will be asked questions such as:
- What are your expectations of couples counselling?
- What are the major issues that cause conflict in your relationship?
- What issues have you been experiencing in your relationship?
- How long have these issues been a problem in your relationship?
- What have you and your partner done to try to resolve these issues?
How many sessions do we have to attend?
Usually you will see your couples therapist over a period of weeks or months. Both you and your partner are expected to attend each session.
Will a couples therapist tell us what to do?
No. Your therapist's aim is not to resolve your issues for you, but to develop your listening, communication, and negotiating skills so you can resolve your issues for yourselves. The point is that you both take responsibility for your choices and actions and for how you will move forward.
During couples counselling, you and your partner will meet with a specialist to talk through and explore the problems you're both facing. The therapist will help you both to open up, highlighting the strengths in your relationship alongside what might be causing you distress.
Is therapy useful during separation or divorce?
Therapy helps couples communicate and resolve the conflicts that occur when divorcing or separating.