The Benefits of Couples Therapy
Being part of a couple, whether you’re married or are in an otherwise long-term relationship, isn’t easy. Anyone who has been part of a couple at any time can probably attest to that. There are ups and downs to any relationship, and it’s hard enough getting along on a daily basis. Add kids, high-pressure careers, debt, infidelity, and a host of other factors into the mix, and you have yourself a stressful situation.
When faced with challenges in a relationship, many people turn to couples therapy to work through their issues. One study shows that most people agree that couples therapy has had a positive impact on their relationship, but issues such as availability and cost often get in the way of continuing.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying the many benefits of couples therapy, from the restoration of trust to the ability to learn effective coping skills.
Let’s take a look at the many benefits associated with couples counseling.
Couples Therapy Helps You…
1. Address Lack of Communication
One of the biggest hurdles in any relationship is lack of communication. Counselors can help both parties express themselves better through the use of effective communication skills, such as active listening, monitoring of non-verbal cues, and asking questions to pinpoint the other partner’s feelings.
2. Know How to Deescalate Arguments
When things get heated, many couples say things in anger that they may not mean, which leads to hurt feelings and resentment. Oftentimes, if we can stop ourselves from getting to that hurtful place, we can get to a more peaceful resolution that is more productive. It’s human nature to defend ourselves, but when each party thinks they are right all the time, this can cause a roadblock to resolution. One person may always have to be right and doesn’t want to take the time to hear someone else’s point of view.
This is often driven by the stress response, and it’s something that can quickly escalate an argument. Counselors can act as mediators who can help each person see the other’s point of view or identify discrepancies in statements revealed by both. Not only does this help the couple cool down, it gives them healthy coping tools to send messages in a non-threatening and accepting way.
3. Reignite the Flame
Especially in long-term relationships, that passion both people felt at the beginning burns out after a while. That’s completely normal, but it doesn’t mean your relationship can’t have some excitement. Think about why you each became attracted to the other in the first place and find creative ways to keep that flame lit.
4. Learn How to Parent Together
While kids can be a great unifier in a couple’s lives and bring great joy, they can also strain a relationship in many ways – especially if each party has a different view of how to parent and how to discipline. It’s common for couples to have disagreements on how they should raise their children. Sometimes one person is the disciplinarian and imposes strict rules, while the other sits back and is more relaxed.
Couples counselors can help direct a couple to evidence-based resources and teach them healthy ways to come to a middle ground on discipline.
5. Address Infidelity
Since the dawn of time, one of the biggest challenges of the long-term relationship is the issue of infidelity. Unfortunately, cheating is more common than you may think. One study found that 46 percent of respondents who were in a monogamous relationship admitted to having affairs.
When one person finds out the other has cheated, this can be a big blow to the sanctity and security of the marriage. In fact, it can call into question many other aspects of the relationship and lead to severe trust issues. Infidelity is one of the biggest things to overcome in a marriage, and many people don’t get over it. While you may always hurt from the indiscretion of your partner, therapists can help you explore why your unfaithful partner felt compelled to cheat, and help you process your emotions so that you can make a decision about how you want to move forward.
6. See the Other Perspective
It’s human nature to only see things from our perspective. After all, we are the hero of our own stories. That’s what makes it so hard to truly empathize with our partners in a disagreement, and it’s often a stumbling block to moving forward in a healthy manner. Your therapist can help you analyze the issue from several perspectives, even if those perspectives are different from yours.
Book Couples Therapy Today in California and Nevada
Lucero Wellbeing is a private practice that provides mental health services, including one-on-one counseling as well as couples therapy. Our skilled and compassionate counselors can help you restore your marriage or relationship by helping both parties develop lifelong coping strategies to ensure a stronger union. Contact us today to learn more about our couples therapy sessions. It’s time to re-connect.