Everything You Need to Know About Couples Therapy – Techniques and Benefits

The need for couples therapists and their guidance is rising more than ever today. Busy lifestyles and miscommunication are common reasons why two people in a relationship move away from each other.

If you are looking for a professional to access couples therapy, this article is a must-read.

Let us first understand what it is and look at its benefits.

What is Couple Therapy?

Couples Therapy involves counseling procedures done through psychotherapy. It aims at improving the relationship your share with your partner. There are several techniques involved in this process to help reach your goals.

Poor communication, sexual problems, financial issues, insecurities, ego issues, jealousy, etc. can be solved by contacting a counselor.

Techniques Involved in Couple Therapy

The most commonly used forms of couples therapy include psychodynamic therapy, behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The different techniques to help couples use elements from all these therapies to provide you the best results.

1. Understanding you better

To offer the right advice and help, the counselor should be able to understand you better. The most important step or technique is hence getting to know you better. This breaks the ice between the couple and couples therapists as you now work as a team to find the best solutions.

2. Identifying your feelings and thoughts

The first thing to do to get a solution to a problem is to identify it. You should also be able to identify your thoughts and feelings attached to that issue.

Then you should be clear about them and be able to openly express them to your partner.

3. Narrative Therapy

This technique makes you narrate your experience as a story, which is then rewritten. It is most effective when you think you are the reason for all the problems in your relationship.

Narrating helps you understand that one story cannot stand for the whole experience.

4. Reflective Listening

Reflective Listening is one of the most effective techniques to improve communication. In this process, you and your partner take turns allowing each other to speak. You take some time to listen to them without interruption or letting your emotions take over you.

Instead of trying to win an argument or conversation, you try to understand each other’s perspective better.

5. Focusing on providing solutions

To better your relationship, the most important thing to do is to resolve the current issues between you and your partner.

Couples therapists use the technique of providing solutions first and then seeing how they affect the quality of your relationship.

6. Imago Relationship Therapy

Through this technique, you would be asked to recognize childhood experiences that affect your life currently.

They’ll reveal why you behave a certain way in your relationship. You’ll also start understanding yourself and your partner better once you recall these events.

Why Should you Consult a Couple Therapist?

• Resolve Conflicts

Couples therapy is done so as to resolve any conflicts and troubles between you and your partner. Couple therapists are trained to understand your problems and provide the right suggestions for you.

Once your conflicts have been resolved, you start feeling more satisfied and happier in your relationship.

• Find the root cause of problems

Most problems can be solved once you understand where and when they started. But it is difficult to go deeper into a pile of problems that have been happening over a long period of time.

Issues like jealousy, and insecurity often occur due to childhood incidents or specific traumatic experiences.

Couples therapists would be able to help you trace back to those incidents and understand the root cause of the problem.

Understanding this will also solve a lot of other problems that you face in life. You become a better person overall, and a better partner as well.

• Outlet to Express Feelings

Conflicts and fights with your partner can take a toll on your mental health. But what is even worse is, allowing your emotions and feelings to pile up inside you. You may suddenly express your anger to your loved ones or break down at your workplace.

Therefore, it is necessary to openly speak to someone who is ready to listen to you. And what is better than doing it with someone who is professionally trained to listen to your problems?

Couples therapists offer a healthy space for you to open up and get the best form of help.

• Unbiased solutions

After being fed up with constant fights with your partner, you are most likely to turn to someone for solutions.  Those people are usually somebody you know. They may be your friends or family members who will often provide words of solace.

Their words and advice will only make you feel better for a short period of time.

You need somebody who can offer an impartial, rational solution. Not only do counselors offer such solutions, but they also help improve your relationship or marital life.

• Get professional help

Most counselors and therapists are professionally trained to deal with your problems. They are academically qualified as well and are equipped with the needed skills to give you the right advice.

It is much better to go to a therapist than to waste time talking to people who don’t care about your mental health. Nothing good comes out of such small talk other than a few minutes of relief.

How effective is Couple Therapy?

Problems between couples can be solved just through better ways of communication. But it isn’t easy to do this if the problem requires a deep level of understanding to solve it.

You need professional help from a counselor who will provide non-biased advice and suggestions.

Couples therapy is said to make your relationship more satisfactory and fulfilling. Several couples have reported a visible improvement in their communication after getting professional help. Your problems can easily be solved as you now understand each other better.

Hence, consulting couple therapists is the easiest and quickest way to solve problems between you and your other half. Check out our team of counselors at Wownow to restart your relationship anew.