Couples Therapy – A New Approach to Counselling

Couples therapy is a specialised kind of talking therapy where two people sit down with a counsellor to talk about the way they are relating. Some aspects of relationship stress that may be discussed include parenting conflicts, intimacy issues, and communication issues (or other types of distress), a counsellor said. Marriage counselling gives couples the tools to communicate better, he added.

Regardless of which category you fit into, there are some topics you should expect to cover in premarital counseling: how you interact with each other’s family and friends; money; sex; careers; parenting; how you will handle holidays and special events; and spirituality or faith.

What topics are covered in marriage counseling?

Regardless of which category you fit into, there are some topics you should expect to cover in premarital counseling: how you interact with each other’s family and friends; money; sex; careers; parenting; how you will handle holidays and special events; and spirituality or faith. Marriage counselling aims to provide couples with the chance to examine in depth the relationship issues that are causing problems. Communication issues, major life events and the general challenges of maintaining a happy marriage are common reasons for couples to seek marriage therapy. The therapist will want to know the main problems you are experiencing, and what causes most of your stress within the relationship. Some aspects of relationship stress that may be discussed include parenting conflicts, intimacy issues, and communication issues (or other types of distress).

What is the role of marriage counseling?

Marriage counseling, also called couples therapy, helps couples — married or not — understand and resolve conflicts and improve their relationship. Marriage counseling gives couples the tools to communicate better, negotiate differences, problem solve and even argue in a healthier way. When done correctly, couples counselling can strengthen the bonds. But, as our expert counsellor warns, be careful what you wish for. Couples counselling isn’t complex. Essentially, it’s a specialised kind of talking therapy where two people sit down with a counsellor to talk about the way they are relating. Currently, couples counseling has a success rate of roughly 70 percent. About 80 percent of therapists in private practice offer couples therapy. Many couples therapies fail because the partners continue to experience each other as adversaries. Consequently, they remain locked in bitter struggles for dominance and persistently discredit each other’s point of view and emotional reactions.

What is the main problem in marriage counseling?

An issue commonly brought to marriage counselling is lost intimacy or a disconnectedness between the married couple. Sometimes the couple knows that there are problems in the marriage, but they just don’t know how to talk about them. In other cases, one of the spouses doesn’t want to visit a therapist for several reasons. Or, they both feel that the problems haven’t come to that point yet. In any case, the good news is – you can fix a marriage without counseling. All you need is a lot of patience and willingness to work on the issues. The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship. After the initial discussions, your therapist might give you feedback and recommend a plan for treatment. It is provided with a tool for better communication, negotiating the differences and even help to argue in a better way. On every initial phone call with a couple interested in couples counseling, I get asked “How often should we come to couples counseling?” I recommend weekly sessions for the first 4-6 weeks, and then re-evaluate after that. Respect each other One of the greatest rules of a happy marriage is respect. Even when you’re fighting, you have to maintain respect for each other in order for things to work. It’s important to keep calm when you have disagreements.

What are the benefits of marriage counselling?

They can improve their communication skills, understand each other better, learn how to make a better team in their marriage, and increase parenting skills. Yet, marriage counselling is particularly useful for those couples who are experiencing serious problems. Some people say marriage counseling “causes” divorce. This isn’t typically true, but therapy can expose problems and issues that aren’t easily resolved. If the couple refuses to or can’t work through their issues, then they may blame the counselor for causing a separation or divorce. It’s not as hard as you might think. Yes, couples therapy is intense, often much more intense than individual therapy. Working on issues of intimacy, sexuality, and communication can be extremely difficult. The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists reports an overall success rate of 98%.

What’s another name for marriage counseling?

Couples therapy (also couples’ counseling, marriage counseling, or marriage therapy) attempts to improve romantic relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts. One of the most challenging aspects of conducting therapy is finessing the balance between meeting clients where they are at and also encouraging them to grow. A strong and healthy relationship is built on the three C’s: Communication, Compromise and Commitment. The Four Horsemen are four communication habits that increase the likelihood of divorce, according to research by psychologist and renowned marriage researcher John Gottman, Ph. D. Those four behaviors are criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt.

What topics couples therapy ask?

The therapist will want to know the main problems you are experiencing, and what causes most of your stress within the relationship. Some aspects of relationship stress that may be discussed include parenting conflicts, intimacy issues, and communication issues (or other types of distress). They can improve their communication skills, understand each other better, learn how to make a better team in their marriage, and increase parenting skills. Yet, marriage counselling is particularly useful for those couples who are experiencing serious problems. The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship. Psychodynamic Counseling is probably the most well-known counseling approach. Rooted in Freudian theory, this type of counseling involves building strong therapist–client alliances. The goal is to aid clients in developing the psychological tools needed to deal with complicated feelings and situations.

What type of therapist is best for marriage counseling?

Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCS) are also typically not qualified to provide couples therapy. Only marriage and family therapists have specialized education, training and experience in helping couples. Couples therapy is typically pursued when the couple is experiencing problems, big or small, in their relationship and wants to understand the “why.” Marriage counseling, on the other hand, is often attended by newlyweds and sometimes even required of couples before getting married. Currently, couples counseling has a success rate of roughly 70 percent. About 80 percent of therapists in private practice offer couples therapy. Currently, couples counseling has a success rate of roughly 70 percent. About 80 percent of therapists in private practice offer couples therapy.

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