Even if there aren’t major transgressions like infidelity, minor disagreements can quickly lead to an impasse that feels impossible to overcome. Couples therapy helps couples uncover the underlying issues that create these roadblocks while learning new methods of communication and conflict resolution.
The first few sessions with your counselor will involve the therapist learning about you and your relationship, including past experiences and current concerns. The therapist will also assess each partner.
Table of Contents
Improved Communication
Often, couples see a therapist when something feels off, but it’s also important to consider counseling as a preventative measure. A therapist can help you identify the small issues that can become big problems before they get out of hand.
Couples therapy Seattle teaches you and your partner how to communicate healthily. This involves exchanging, in a productive manner, thoughts, ideas, and information, as well as listening to one another without criticism or judgment.
You may also learn communication skills that address non-verbal behavior, such as mirroring body language or relaxed posture while talking. These skills can help to reduce tension and conflict. Couples may also be able to tackle more serious communication challenges, such as infidelity, financial stress, or parenting conflicts.
Increased Intimacy
A therapist can help you resolve intimacy issues and strengthen your emotional connection. Intimacy may be a challenge in your relationship due to some reasons, including unresolved conflict, infidelity, trust issues, and sexual dysfunction.
A loss of emotional intimacy can be a sign that you need to see a couples therapist. In therapy, you’ll learn to communicate more effectively and create a sense of shared meaning in your relationship.
You may also develop empathy and stop blaming or attacking each other during disagreements. These skills carry over into other areas of your life, such as at work or with friends. You may find that you’re less prone to drama, which can benefit any situation.
Increased Cohesiveness
Fighting is normal in relationships, and most couples will experience disagreements from time to time. However, the problem arises when these conflicts go unresolved, and a chasm develops in the relationship. Couples therapy can help couples understand each other better and work through their issues.
The therapist can be a neutral listener and not side with either partner. Additionally, the therapist can teach couples how to express themselves less violently.
Marriage counseling can also help you rediscover what attracted you to your partner in the first place. It can also provide a safe space for both parties to express their feelings without feeling judged or attacked. This is a huge step towards rebuilding trust and strengthening the relationship. It can also be beneficial for those who are struggling with addiction, domestic violence, or any other issue that requires specialized treatment.
Increased Effort
Making a relationship work long-term requires significant effort, and couples counseling helps you learn to make that effort more effectively. You’ll gain strategies for communicating respectfully and creating harmony, which you may carry into other aspects of your life, such as professional or social interactions.
Couples therapy also teaches you and your partner how to break poor relationship habits that can be difficult to break on your own. You’ll practice better communication, for example, and your therapist can help you set boundaries regarding name-calling or putdowns.
If your partner is resistant to attending couples counseling, Rose recommends considering weekend workshops that focus on communication and connection. These can be a great compromise for people who need more time to be ready to take the step of individual counseling.
Increased Satisfaction
Most couples will, at some point, experience roadblocks in their relationship. These roadblocks may be sparked by a major event, like infidelity, or small events, such as arguing over laundry, dishes, or parental responsibilities. A forum to address these issues can help prevent them from becoming a permanent impasse.
A therapist is trained to help couples find resolutions to their issues without placing blame. They will use nonviolent communication techniques that allow both parties to express their needs and wants in a safe space where they cannot be attacked or hurt by one another.
Couples therapy also helps couples identify and understand their schemas (core beliefs) contributing to repetitive behavior patterns within the relationship. This awareness provides them with new coping mechanisms that can break the cyclical nature of their relationships and lead to higher satisfaction.