Couples counseling or couples therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on assisting couples in achieving a more satisfying relationship with their partner.
What is Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy can be conducted by a qualified psychologist with many years of experience counseling families and couple dynamics or by a group of psychologists or therapists working together to assist the couple in making that change and development together. It involves talking about your problems and working out possible solutions to them.
How does it Work?
It has been recently documented that marriages of more than ten years have an increasing risk of divorcing, so we might need more couples therapists since we live longer and men and women nowadays are staying married for more than 10 years according to reports. Research suggests that around 50% of us will go to a therapist’s office to speak up on our relationship problems, many couples will not speak up on their issues with the most common reasons being lack of ways to communicate about their problems.
The Gottman institute as suggested by John Gottman says that talking through therapy in a more approachable way will make the couples get the help they needed. As we are advised time and time again to go to couples therapy we should always ensure that we go to a licensed therapist or any other professional help that will help root out the deeper issues that only family therapists can help out with.
One can easily know when it is time to go to couples therapy; lack of good communication skills in the relationship, lack of physical intimacy, and constant arguing are some of the indicators. These factors make one partner feel distant from the other one and some even prefer to go separate ways but there is no need of that; therapy can help out with that, couples counseling can sort out the specific issues and challenges that brings the constant arguments and conflicts which most couples experience in their everyday daily life.
Infidelity
Infidelity is another problem in today’s generation and the number of relationships coming to an end because of infidelity is increasing with time. Sex therapists in New York, for example, said that they have experienced a rise in the cases of couples coming in for counseling because one partner was “cheating” on the other.
According to Lisa Wade, research suggests that having affairs can be healthy when it spurs creativity and innovation at work but saying this even more people these days would want to go to therapy or therapy sessions with their spouse or partner which indicates that they do not know how to deal with their problems; something we cannot deny since we live in a very fast-paced world where stress and pressure might push us over our limits and make us commit such acts.
One spouse should initiate couples counseling because infidelity can pause as a serious threat to the mental health and the more the couples wait to go for relationship therapy the more the chances of divorce. The status quo on the issues that are affecting the children should be maintained and as they spend time apart they should be in constant communication when it comes to issues of giving support to their kids and always talking to them.
The bottom line is that if you are in a relationship and you want to sort out your differences then do not wait for the other partner to take things into their hands. Seek help immediately because it is better for you and your spouse, plus children are involved so make sure to keep them out of this mess until everything has been sorted out.
Always plan for couples therapy even when times are good, planning ensures that solving issues will be less stressful since they have already planned on what they can do should hard times arrive.
Couples Therapy in Context
Therapy is a way to bring couples closer together but it also helps them understand each other better and resolve their conflicts the right way. It might not be easy to find a therapist that will suit your needs. You can search for therapists who specialize in family therapies, sex therapy, or any other types of therapy that one might feel comfortable discussing with a complete stranger knowing that you are going to share everything with him/her.
Way back when people were still scared to talk about their problems and seek help from others they would instead hold it all in until they burst which was not healthy at all since it led to anger, frustration and sometimes violence within the relationship. Nowadays many people have realized the importance of communication and have learned that it is better to get things out in the open rather than holding them all inside.
But if one thinks about it, life is not really still the same as before since technology has evolved and brought with it a lot of challenges which affect our day-to-day lives. Couples find themselves dealing with problems they never thought would come their way; cases of infidelity are significantly higher nowadays because of the internet, access to porn using laptops and smartphones, affairs over chat rooms or social media websites are not unusual at all since there are sites that offer free chats which anyone can venture into without having to worry about being caught by their spouse or partner.
What you do on your does not always stay between you and your partner, not anymore because if you made a habit of opening yourself to the social media and sharing your moments with everyone on Facebook or Twitter then it will be easier for someone who wants to ruin your relationship by going through all of your messages.
Having a hard time coping with infidelity? Do not fret since there are ways that can help one deal with this problem. There is couples therapy plus legal remedies that might come in handy depending on what kind of trouble one is in.
Couples Therapy Works Best If Both Partners Are Willing To Work On Their Relationship
Although there was a rise cases involving cheating partners manipulating the other person so they could have an excuse to go outside their marriage, most therapists nowadays say that this does not happen that often. Nevertheless, couples therapy works best if both partners are willing to work on their relationship instead of only one person making the effort.
It will be difficult to determine whether or not you need couples therapy if your partner is unwilling to talk about what bothers them and does everything possible to avoid any confrontation because this will make it harder for people to decide what they should do next.
There are times when wives want to go through with couples therapy but husbands refuse because they think it is not necessary since they never resort to violence whenever frustrations arise. Other men may feel emasculated by seeing the woman who used to submit herself unconditionally standing up for her own rights without being told what she has to do which leads women into thinking that they might be better off on their own.
Some couples therapy is recommended for same-sex partners who are facing challenges that straight couples never had to deal with before since it was not originally intended for them. For example, if one of the women suddenly decides to take on a male role within the relationship then there will be disagreements especially when it comes to parenting or having children followed by threats of divorce if things do not change. Gay couples have become more open about their relationships but some parents are still being judgmental so these types of problems can cause tension if they are not dealt with properly.
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Baby Through In Vitro Fertilization?
Having a baby through in vitro fertilization may seem like the easy way out but it comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
The Upside To Having A Baby Through In Vitro Fertilization
One of the main reasons why people resort to having a baby through in vitro fertilization is that it is becoming more common than ever before. There are many celebrities who made this choice because they always wanted to have kids even if there were risks involved, some chose surrogacy while others opted for adoption which takes too long especially if you only plan on doing it instead of actually starting a family right away.
The Loneliness Of Being Childless
Despite having all these different options at their disposal, childless couples still feel like they are not good simply because they do not have a baby to show for it. They can go through all the procedures needed to make this happen but still end up with empty arms at the end of the day which is why some would rather go with adoption or surrogacy instead.
The Risks Of Having A Baby Through In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilization may be considered as a miracle for those who cannot have their own kids but there are risks involved especially since doctors do not always get it right. If you think about it, using a random egg donor might increase your chance of having a healthy baby which is why parents prefer going through fertility clinics where they can choose from so many different donors.
Couples counseling for a healthy relationship
The main point for this is to support the couples and make them feel safe as they let out their feelings to the therapist, this is a process and the more they freely communicate the more the conflict is resolved. As they take time talking about their marriage their children for those who happen to have will always feel safe with their parents taking a break.
If the couple decides to take a couples break or even a divorce they should make sure that they communicate effectively always on the issues of money and household chores and making sure that their children will take individual therapy because this will bring an impact on the mental health of their children. Therapy has helped many couples sort out their problems and this is because there are therapists who specialize in family counseling, marriage counseling or even couples therapy which helps resolve all the serious issues that affect married life.
Couples Therapy Explained
A “couple” refers to two people, like a husband and wife who are living together for some time now. This also applies to those who were not formally wed but lived together for quite some time. The term “couples therapy” can refer to either an individual or both parties involved depending on what was agreed upon during the first session with the counselor or therapist.
When couples come in for treatments sessions it can be mainly influenced by one party since they might come in because the other party is pushing them to do so. A couple can also come in if they are having issues with their relationship, this could be due to the fact that the other party has cheated or even because of other serious but less common reasons.
Once they sit down for a couples therapy session they will firstly talk about their problems and then try to find out what might have caused it. The main goal of this sessions is to help both parties understand each other better and how their behavior affects everything else. Therapy helps rebuild trust after an instance like cheating that makes someone feel very betrayed by the other.
The Counselors Role
Being on the counselor’s chair can prove to be quite challenging especially when trying to make sure everyone gets heard since most men and women think about their own needs and preferences. Nevertheless, this is the only way to get what works for them so they can finally experience peace in a marriage or even in a relationship.
Therapists should be able to guide couples well especially when it comes to resolving conflict well, because once you know how both parties feel then one can simply just help them resolve any issues that might have been brought up during the sessions. If the problem is brought upon by anger or other issues that cannot be resolved easily then therapists will suggest ways on how each party can handle such emotions and work towards resolving this problem instead of avoiding it as most people do in relationships today.
After all, said and done and after addressing any problems that might have come up during the session then therapists or counselors will finally come up with a plan that might help resolve such issues. If couples have been brought up in different homes and cultures then this can prove to be difficult but if they are willing to understand each other’s way of life it is always possible since there are great chances that one party might also learn something new about his or her partner.
A successful relationship means that both parties involved should learn how to manage their emotions especially when solving serious problems, most people avoid solving their issues by dragging them for years which is not healthy at all since someone always gets hurt along the way. If you do not want your children to suffer emotional damage because of your behavior as an adult then make sure you put away the childish fights and work towards resolving your relationship instead of destroying it.
Couples Therapy Timeline
Most couples go through a period in their lives when they are not sure whether staying together or getting divorced is the right solution for their problems. For some it might be because he or she cheated on them whereas for others its because of financial reasons, but at times couples do choose to stay with each other even when things get rough between them.
The main goal of counseling is not to force you into doing something that you do no want since this is your life which means your decisions are always final unless you decide otherwise which can only happen if both partners agree upon it during the sessions. During these sessions, therapists will talk about what might have caused this problem between the two parties and what each side can do in order to keep their relationship afloat.
If after six months couples are not willing to work things out but one party is pushing them too then therapists will suggest whether it would be better if they got a divorce or if one partner should leave the house when they feel like there is no solution left insight.
How to deal with relationship issues as an individual
Other couples will prefer to hide their feelings when it comes to this but getting a therapist and engaging in a talk with them as an individual person will even help in understanding the other partner well and your in-laws. As partners work on their relationships and seek relationship therapy the process ensures that they work on the same things and goals for their relationship.
Conclusion
People should always remember that once two become one, only God knows how difficult it can get for both of them especially when you sign up to take care of each other till death does part which means that even when friendship gets into trouble then this journey becomes harsh for both individuals involved. People that get into relationships today need to understand that everything comes with a price especially when commitment is involved, this means that there will be no excuses for anyone who fails to keep their end of the bargain.
