What You Can Anticipate from Couples Counseling

If you and your partner are struggling to resolve your relationship roadblocks or keep the spark alive in your relationship, couples counseling can be a viable solution for you.

What is Couples Counseling?

Couples counseling is a type of psychotherapy in which a counselor works with the couple through their relationship problems. The aim of couples counseling is to help couples better understand each other. Another common goal of couples counseling is to help couples build intimacy and rekindle the passion that was lost in their relationship.

In couples counseling, couples learn effective ways to resolve conflicts. During counseling sessions, therapists conduct various exercises designed to help couples understand the underlying causes of relationship conflict so they can work together to address them.

Couples therapy can help couples gain new insights into their relationship and better understand its dynamics.

If a couple fails to mend their relationship after trying everything, their counselor can help them decide if they should go their separate ways. A couples counselor will usually want both partners to attend counseling sessions, but may occasionally request to see them separately to work on individual issues.

Does Couples Therapy Work?

Are you wondering how effective couples counseling can be? In a study, a whopping 93% of surveyed couples said couples therapy equipped them with effective conflict resolution tools. Around 97% of couples said they benefited immensely from couples therapy.

What to Expect?

In the first session, your therapist will ask you several questions about your relationship and each other’s cultural background. They will want to know about the relationship problems you are experiencing.

Once your therapist gets to know you two on a personal level and identifies the root cause of relationship problems, they will define treatment goals and create a plan of action. Treatment goals evolve. A flexible treatment plan accommodates changes, which means your therapist can revisit it after every few sessions and adapt it to your changing needs.

Poor communication can wreak havoc on your relationship. During counseling sessions, your therapist will conduct various psychotherapy exercises to help you two improve your communication skills. You will also get take-home exercises such as reading a romantic novel or watching a romantic movie together. The purpose of these exercises is, a) to help couples get closer to each other; and b) apply the skills they learn in therapy sessions to real-life situations.

What Do You Talk About in Couples Therapy?

In couples therapy, couples discuss the problems they are experiencing and the factors that, according to them, are causing relationship stress.

How Often Should You Go to Couples Counseling?

Depending on the nature and severity of the relationship problem a couple faces, their therapist may recommend weekly or bi-weekly sessions.

Should You Go to Couples Therapy Before Marriage?

Yes. Couples therapy before marriage can teach couples communication skills along with ways to fight constructively. It can address pre-wedding anxiety and establish expectations.

How Long Does Couples Therapy Take?

How long will therapy last? – This is one of the most common questions that couples ask their therapists. It all depends on the nature of the relationship and the problems that a couple is facing. Some couples may achieve their goals after as little as 4-6 sessions, while others may need to stay in therapy for months.

Cooper Mental Health Counseling is a trusted psychiatry clinic and counseling center in Manhattan. We use different types of therapy to treat debilitating mental disorders. To consult one of our therapists, call (347) 244-7873.