Couple's Therapy
WHAT IS COUPLE'S THERAPY?
Couple's therapy is a collaborative process between the therapist and the couple to determine what is working and what is more of a struggle in the relationship. The couple and the therapist will work together to identify potential courses of managing the relationship with the understanding that there are many ways of being in relationships.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT WHEN GOING TO COUPLE'S THERAPY?
Expect a welcoming and nonjudgmental environment in which all sides of an experience can be explored safely to meet the needs of the couple. Different models of couples therapy might be used to help the members see their situation from a variety of perspectives. In couple's therapy you will work collaboratively to create new patterns of interaction that work for everyone. While couple's therapy may touch some vulnerabilities that you might not expect to touch on, that discomfort has the potential to create growth.
HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE NEED (OR COULD BENEFIT FROM) COUPLE'S THERAPY?
As couples, when we connect it is a journey of completeness. We have to move from “myself” to “us.” That change is a part of growth in our lives, and is a place that members of the couple may get stuck. Couples who experience impasses in their relationships, or issues outside of the relationship that affect one’s participation in the relationship, benefit from couples therapy. Couples also benefit from therapy when they want to enrich their relationship, discover more about each other, and establish patterns that lead to a satisfying and comforting relationship that helps each of them reach their personal goals.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COUPLE'S THERAPY?
Couples therapy can give us some of the tools to find the answers to whether a relationship should stay the same or change. A result of Couples therapy is that we learn to communicate better, create stronger connections, and discover how that relationship best fits in our overall life goals.
WHAT IF ONE PERSON DOESN'T WANT TO ATTEND?
The couples therapist works with whoever is in the room and begins where ever the members of the couple are. It is more frequent than not that people who come to therapy do so because they and their partners are in different places in their energy, concerns, and willingness.
WHAT DOES A COUPLE'S THERAPIST DO?
Couples therapists are guides to the options for relationships. The therapist is a safe person for each member of the couple to be heard, valued, and honored. The therapist assesses the systemic processes that sustain unhelpful ways of interacting and adjusts that process so that there is a better fit for the two of them. Therapy is not a one size fits all: The therapist examines patterns and how they work, examine the context of what is happening to find the deeper pattern, and use their tools to shape patterns that are not helpful. Couples therapists are are translators in that they use the language of the couple and change the language so the couple experiences the information in a different way. In couple’s counseling, the therapist holds a safe space so that accurate communication can occur.
HOW OFTEN DO WE NEED TO ATTEND COUPLE'S THERAPY SESSIONS?
At the beginning, it is often helpful to meet weekly. As the therapy progresses the clients and the clinician will work together to determine the frequency and length of the therapy.