Couples Counseling

Couples Therapy (also called marriage counseling) is designed for people who are married or contemplating marriage; dating; living together; or in a long-term relationship. Couples counseling will assist you and your partner with overcoming the inevitable hurdles within your relationship, and help you to improve communication and understanding. Issues such as infidelity, conflict over money, jealousy, and sexual difficulties can be addressed in a supportive, therapeutic environment. Counseling sessions focus on ensuring that both partners' needs are met.

In couples counseling, the “identified patient” is the relationship itself. Your therapist will help you figure out what’s working in your relationship, as well as what isn’t working. Each person will have the opportunity to describe what they want and don’t want the relationship dynamic to look like, and your therapist will help you create a plan and strategies to assist you in meeting your goals. Your treatment plan may include homework assignments that you do between sessions, to help you build your skills and meet your goals more quickly.

Couples Counseling Basics

Here are some basic skills you may be learning during your marriage counseling sessions:

• Boundaries

• Bonding activities

• Fair fighting

• Empathetic responses

• Understanding the other person’s point of view

Can my relationship be saved?

The short answer is “yes, if …" Any relationship can be healthy, happy and fulfilling, and meet each person’s needs … IF both partners are willing to do the work to make it happen. It’s unlikely that a marriage or relationship will be healthy and happy if only one person is working on keeping it alive. During your couples therapy sessions, your therapist will discuss with you the things you like — and the things you don’t like — about your current relationship dynamics. Then you, your therapist, and your partner will create a plan together to make some improvements.