Couples who are facing issues with each other or who are not feeling successful in their relationship can seek couples therapy. This will help to overcome the differences and thereby lead a healthy life.
What is couple therapy?
Couples therapy is a type of counseling given by an expert to couples either married or in a long-distance relationship who are facing difficulty in their bonding. They will receive assistance to work in their relationship and to sort out the differences. Therapy doesn’t mean to paint or blame one person as a bad guy rather it is to solve the issues as a team. By this session, couples will have a brief understanding of their real issues. In most cases, the relationship problem exists due to a lack of communication. And in other cases, problems are generated due to differences in opinions. For example, one partner is in need to change the city but the other is not agreeing with it. These differences will generate unclarity in the relationship.
Types of couple therapy
There are various types of couples therapy
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Gottman method
This method includes both individual couple sessions and then they work as a team to solve the issues.
2. Emotion-focused therapy
This type of therapy helps in identifying the emotions of their partners. If one partner is saying to wash the dishes and the other one is not doing that. The person will feel disrespect like he/she is not accepting the request. So in such types of problems, they will find the solution by letting them know the underlying emotions of each other.
3. Narrative therapy
The therapist will tell the couples to reconstruct their stories. So that if the partner is having a negative impact in their past they can change it into a positive situation.
Couple therapy Vs Individual therapy
If one of the partners is feeling some kind of problem then it will affect the other one and the relationship. So it is not always necessary for couples therapy. Here is the importance of individual counseling. The person who feels the problems can go for the session and this will gradually help in the relationship. This does not mean to point at one person. But individual counseling will help to work on yourself if the problems are not communication and difference in opinions. For example, if the partner is having some anger issues or being aggressive in silly problems this will directly affect the relationship. So it is better to attend an individual session and to work individually. But if the problems are not resolved by individual counseling then couple therapy will be the next step.
Why do people go for couple therapy?
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Several people find it awkward while a couple says that they need counseling. What are the problems that are leading a couple to think about couple therapy?
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To assist people in resolving conflicts that they can't seem to resolve.
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Because they find it difficult to communicate or convey their emotions to one another.
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Because they are dealing with stressors that are causing problems in their relationship.
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They have previously been unable to agree on critical issues as a means of assisting them in reaching a consensus.
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Because the partnership has been tainted by infidelity or abuse.
In some cases, people go for it to avoid future problems. And one of the facts is that people always go for counseling at the point of their divorce. But the reality is that they need to consult when the time starting problems arise between them.
Here are some facts about counseling
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According to studies, Emotion-Focused Therapy has a success rate of up to 75%, which means that it works for the vast majority of couples.
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According to another study by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, 98 percent of couples said relationship counseling helped them.
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Counseling is not guaranteed to work; according to some studies, 38% of couples will not benefit from it.
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The average marriage is dissatisfied for six years before seeking counseling, which may explain why some people do not believe counseling is effective. Perhaps they waited too long to get help from a professional.
Benefits of couples therapy
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Their communication habits will improve, and they will be more healthy as a result. Both parties, for example, will have an easier time expressing their emotions and asking for what they need while staying polite in the relationship.
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Couples will be better prepared to make significant decisions as a unit.
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It will be easier for spouses or partners to handle problems jointly.
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Partners will learn healthy conflict-resolution skills such as how to listen more effectively and recognize misunderstandings.
What to expect from counseling?
In the initial stage of counseling, they will feel bad and the situation will become worse. But then by good communication and developing understanding skills, they will be able to lead a healthy life.
Couple therapy will help in resolving the problems of a relationship and encourage and support the couple to make their relationship a great success.
