Couple Therapy vs. A Squeaky Relationship?

It's no secret that any relationship, no matter how much love there is between the two, needs effort from both of them to maintain that in the beginning. And couple therapy may be the answer.

If the dissatisfaction is not verbalized and one of you starts to suffer, you can be sure that the relationship will suffer. You can resolve the dispute yourself or there is a way to seek specialized help.

6 years of unhappiness

Most of the time, couples go to a psychologist only when the misunderstandings become very serious and very difficult to correct. When love is severely affected and resentment is high, due to untreated conflicts as soon as they arise.

Research indicates that a couple lives in misery for six years until they decide to seek help.

Of course, aggravating relationship problems does not mean that they cannot be resolved. It's just that you and your partner will have to spend more time and money, plus a lot of seriousness on both sides to successfully overcome the hop.

If you are wondering why some people take so long to visit a relationship counselor, research shows that people believe that vital relationship problems are needed to involve a stranger, be he or a psychologist, in solving them. Others take this step at the last minute to make sure they have tried everything but failed.

What does couple therapy mean?

It is a kind of psychotherapy, in which a therapist with clinical experience in solving a couple of problems helps the two to resolve conflicts and optimize the positive parts of the relationship by using specific methods. These methods depend on the experience of the practitioner, but in general, they are elements that are found, in general, in every therapist.

For example, when it comes to a specific problem (sexual difficulties, internet addiction, jealousy), the therapist tries to solve the problem with both members of the couple, not separately. Find solutions and say what the goals are as the conflict resolves.

The couple therapy session will start with some standard questions, both about the history of the relationship and about the families of the two, the values ​​they believe in, and the cultural background. During the sessions, the therapist will use this information in crisis interventions, when necessary.

Homework

During the treatment phase, the therapist will help the couple understand why the problems could not be solved by the two alone while explaining to both partners to understand what role each has in dysfunctional interactions.

Another crucial aspect of couples therapy involves changing behaviors and ways of interacting. The psychologist will often assign partners assignments to apply the skills learned in the sessions.

Most couples give up couple therapy as soon as they understand their relationship pattern and develop the skills needed to communicate and solve problems with their partners.

Who is couple therapy for?

All. It is beneficial for any type of relationship, whether the partners are straight, gay, mixed-race, young, old. It is also addressed to those who meet and like, get engaged, or get married. For example, a newlywed couple may find in premarital counseling an invaluable opportunity to know the expectations of the relationship before marriage.

Another couple, who have been together for 25 years, may find that couple therapy is an effective way for them to recapture the feelings of emotion and romance they had in the past.

Couple therapy can solve a current problem, prevent an exacerbation of problems, or simply provide a "check-up" for a happy couple who are experiencing a period of transition or increased stress.

Common areas of concern in couple therapy include money, parenting, sex, infidelity, chronic health problems, infertility, gambling, substance abuse, emotional distress, and frequent conflict.