People entering Couples Counseling or Relationship Therapy are often looking for a way to change their partner. Either they feel their partner has changed over time (for the worse) or they themselves have changed (for the better) and wish their partner would as well. In truth, what usually occurs is a new context of life, typically stress, imposing itself on the couple, which sometimes brings out different responses in different people. Dormant skills emerge, or embarrassing habits re-emerge. The bottom line is that the couple wants and needs to find new ways of being together, as they perceive staying together as less daunting than splitting apart.
In Couples Counseling & Relationship Therapy, we carefully tease out the various contributions of each partner into what is making the relationship intolerable, and collaboratively devise new ways the couple can reassemble itself, renegotiate the expectations one has of the other, and new ways each can express their fondness and affection for the other.
Related Blogs:
- The Jerk: A Dynamic in Couples Counseling
- Couples Therapy: Why Does it Get Worse Before it Gets Better?
FAQs
When should couples seek counseling?
Couples should seek couples counseling & relationship therapy when communication breaks down, conflicts repeat, or emotional distance begins to grow.
What happens in couples therapy?
In couples therapy, a licensed therapist helps partners improve communication, resolve conflict, and strengthen emotional connection.
Does relationship therapy really work?
Yes, relationship therapy is effective for many couples, especially when both partners are committed to the process.