Do you need couples counselling ?
If you answer "yes" to several of the following questions, then you need counselling
Do you tend to withdraw from one another ?
Do you feel like you are growing apart from your partner ?
Is there infidelity, addiction, or abuse in your marriage?
Do you often criticize one another?
Do you feel contempt, anger, or resentment for one another?
Do you and your partner have conflicts over religious faith or values?
Do you believe your communication is poor?
Do you feel like you and your partner have nothing in common?
Is there a lot of defensiveness in your marriage?
Benefits of Couples Counselling
The benefits of relationship counselling will depend on the couple seeking help. The more you and your romantic partner are willing to put into your relationship, the better the outcome will likely be.
Gain a Sounding Board
Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to. This is especially important with issues between couples.Simply having a neutral third party to listen to the problems can go a long way in feeling heard and understood. This does not always happen in the midst of a fight.
Gain a deeper understanding of your relationship dynamic
A major benefit of couples counseling is that you can begin to really understand your relationship dynamics. Who has the power? Is it balanced? Do you fall into specific (negative) communication patterns?
Begin to see each other’s perspectives
Couples therapy often allows two people to really begin to see each other’s perspectives. A therapist can help you objectively look at both sides of a disagreement, you can try to avoid miscommunication and instead begin to really understand the root of a problem, both now and in the future.
Learn strategic and effective coping skills
No relationship is perfect, and there will be difficult times you need to learn to navigate. Having the right coping skills in place can help you and your partner get through these challenging times.
Clarify your feelings about the relationship
A therapist can help you and your partner decide what you want moving forward, and then give you strategic ways to reach those relationship goals. Whether this means parting ways or figuring out what it’ll take to make the relationship work, a huge benefit of couples counseling can be clarifying your feelings.
Restore trust
Trust issues can stem from infidelity, lack of honesty, financial struggles, or a multitude of other reasons. Therapy is a good place to express that there’s a lack of trust, explore how it was broken, work on forgiveness (or retribution if necessary), and then create a space for new boundaries to be set so healing can begin.
Deepen your intimacy and connection with your partner
One of the biggest benefits of marriage counselling can be the effect it can have on intimacy and a connection with your partner. Intimacy is a common problem for many relationships, especially when you’ve been together for a long time and it feels like that spark has dimmed.
Improve communication skills
Couples therapy can help improve communication skills so you can better communicate with your partner more effectively and productively. One of the best benefits of focusing on how to communicate is that it’s something that can translate to other areas of your life besides just your immediate relationship.
Work on your own self-awareness and personal growth
The goal of therapy is to have a deeper understanding of your own needs and the needs of your partner. By exploring the areas in your life that aren’t completely fulfilling, you can learn a lot about yourself.