A Full Guide To Couples Therapy

1. A Full Guide To Couples Therapy

2. Couples therapy may sound dramatic, but in reality, going to couples therapy or couples therapy can be a very healthy step in a relationship. It is usually a sign that a couple is interested in working on their relationship in a committed and intentional way. Here's a guide to what happens in couples therapy, how to know if you should go to couples therapy, and other frequently asked questions.

3. What is couples therapy? • Couples therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping a couple overcome challenges, better understand their relationship, and develop healthier ways of relating to each other. The therapist uses specific therapeutic techniques and interventions to support the couple's goals. • Many couples come to couples therapy because they are dealing with a specific challenge, such as communication problems, sexual difficulties, affairs, or considering a breakup.

4. What happens in couples therapy. • Couples therapy usually involves talking about the challenges of the relationship as a couple with a neutral party (your therapist) who is trained to help you get to the bottom of the problem, Carroll says. The therapist will ask specific questions to help partners communicate in a healthier and more honest way, better understand each other's perspectives and feelings, and develop new ways of dealing with conflict. They can also carry out guided activities as a couple. • A good couples therapist teaches couples how to ask for what they want without making the other person shut down, Carroll explains. "A therapist knows how to help couples get to the real problem [at the heart of the problem] and can teach appropriate skills or references to help them get through it," she says.

5. During her couples therapy sessions, she also teaches couples new relational skills, such as how to express wishes as wishes rather than criticism. For example, she may learn to say, "I want you to be more loving and hold my hand" instead of "Never hold my hand." • She is also on the lookout for issues like clinical depression, which may seem like a disappointment to her partner at first, but is a clinical condition that needs to be treated.

6. Couples counseling success rates. • There is no definitive answer about the success of couples therapy. Some studies show an improvement in the relationship with therapy training. Other research shows that there are some couples who maintain a healthy relationship years after completing couples therapy, while other couples slip back into old negative patterns. • Marriage therapist Ian Hoge, LMFT, and Carroll say that the success of couples therapy depends entirely on the people in question and their desire to work hard, learn new skills, and stay involved in the process. Some couples attend the sessions but do not practice the skills at home, so they do not see an improvement in their online relationship therapy training.

7. "In many ways, this can be a trick question," adds Hoge. "Most people can define success as if they stay together or not, but we all know that staying together does not necessarily define success." • Not all couples need to stay together, so sometimes successful couples counseling means that a couple realizes that it is time to end the relationship.

8. When should you go to couples therapy? • If you have the same fight over and over without a resolution, Carroll says it might be time to see a therapist. He may also go see a therapist if he feels stuck over handling a difficult decision together, if he is considering separating, or if there has been a major stressor in the relationship, such as infidelity, financial stress, or trauma. • "Most people go to couples therapy training when intimacy or communication stalls and maybe they are on life support," says Hoge. "The couple is often at a crossroads, not knowing how to move forward or if they want to move on."

9. But healthy couples can also benefit from couples therapy, he notes, as it is an opportunity to improve connection and communication. So you shouldn't go alone if you have problems. Both Carroll and Hoge note that they see couples who just want to improve their good relationships and who want to learn new relationship skills. • Wanting the best relationship you can have is reason enough to start couples therapy, Hoge says. Or, as Carroll puts it, "Love is a feeling, but a healthy relationship is a skill set. Most of us don't learn these skills when we grow up, so we just hope that love helps us. But it's not enough. Said. this, love combined with skills is usually enough. "

10. Can Couples Counseling Make Things Worse? • Some people have negative experiences in couples therapy. Some therapists lack proper training in couples therapy or simply have an ineffective approach that ends up making things worse for the couple. But other times, the process of going to couples therapy simply forces couples to have difficult conversations and to be vulnerable in ways they are not used to, which they may interpret as "making things worse", even if the process is helpful and healing for them in the long run. • Some couples break up after couples therapy, but sometimes that's for the best. Hoge notes that in his sessions, he often pays close attention to helping a couple navigate whether or not they want to stay together. He says that some people stay in a relationship therapy training just because of their children or because they don't know how to make a change.

11. In these cases, people may feel more unhappy staying in a relationship than leaving it, and therefore a separation could be viewed as a success. • "Some couples come to therapy and learn how to be better partners with each other and choose to stay together," says Hoge. "Some couples come to therapy and find that they no longer want to be together. A therapist is there to help you figure out the best option for you and your partner and help you navigate the process as consciously and efficiently as possible."

12. How long should couples therapy last? • Some couples may need years of therapy to resolve problems, while others only need a few months. The time depends on the severity of the problem, plus the amount of effort a couple is willing to put in. Some couples therapists also offer individual sessions for couples who just want support through specific conversation. • "Some couples only need a few sessions to resolve a particular, clear problem, and others appreciate ongoing maintenance or need regular support," says Hoge. "Usually it takes at least a few sessions for couples to feel comfortable working in this way, and a therapist needs time to experience and understand the interpersonal dynamics of a couple."

13. Generally speaking, Carroll points out that there is a difference between learning to overcome a great betrayal and learning to spend more time enjoying yourself together. But he points out that therapy is about developing new habits, which may take longer for some people than others. It involves practicing the skills of couples therapy at home. • "Sometimes people get frustrated when things don't improve after just six sessions, but when I ask them how much they are working on the new skills ... they say not at all," he says. "Going to see a therapist is like going to a personal trainer. If you don't exercise between sessions, it won't work as well."

14. About Us • At Affinity Psychotherapy Academy, our mission is to offer the most up-to-date, relevant and innovative relationship therapy training. Our integrated and diverse programme of learning will not only enable you to flourish in the real world of relationship therapy, it will also shape your own journey of self-discovery and transformative practice. You will gain expertise in the fundamentals of relationship therapy and take a deep dive into issues such as working with cultural and religious differences; the impact of physical and mental ill-health on relationships and sex; neurodiversity; non-monogamy and kink; and toxicity, abuse and coercive control. • Website - https://affinity-psychotherapy-academy.com/