Benefits of Couples Counseling 101 and What to Expect
Couples counseling is remarkably beneficial to a relationship not only as a last ditch effort to save the relationship but also as a way to prevent a potential complete dissolution. By having couples counseling at the first sign of any damaging patterns can help prevent things from progressing to the point of no return.
Many couples are afraid to go to counseling because they are unsure of what happens or they may feel uncomfortable having a third party involved in their intimate lives. However, the knowledge gained in couples counseling brings wisdom and insight, thus resulting in a more stable and loving relationship in the end!
Benefits of Couples Counseling
- Helps Couples Understand Their Feelings. Having a third set of eyes and ears can help couples get in contact with their personal feelings regarding their partner and the relationship itself.
- Helps Dissolve Roadblocks. Every couple has disagreements and having a safe and controlled environment to air grievances can help prevent things from escalating and spiraling out of control.
- Helps to Deepen Intimacy and Communication. At the beginning stages of a relationship things are new and fun making it exciting for both partners but as time progresses things get into a routine, and the spark they initially felt goes away. By making a set “date” to attend couples counseling will benefit both partners as attention will now be given to the “relationship” itself.
- Helps Promote Self Awareness and Personal Growth. Even though your relationship is the main focus during your counseling session, how you interact with your partner may correlate with how you interact with your friends, coworkers, your family, and even yourself. You may find individual counseling sessions equally helpful in this process.
- Learn How to Resolve Conflicts in a Healthy Way – In couples counseling, you will learn how to effectively listen to your spouse as well as learn how to communicate better with each other.
- Learn How to Process and Work Through Unresolved Issues. Having a safe environment allows the freedom of expressing any unhappy thoughts felt as well as finding out if your spouse or partner is even willing to do the work necessary to make your relationship stronger.
- Learn More About Yourself and Your Spouse or Partner. Couples counseling benefits both parties together and as individuals to find out who each of you is deep down and if you should be together or not.
What to Expect from Couples Counseling
Couples counseling helps couples recognize and resolve conflicts within their relationship. The counseling sessions are provided by licensed therapists who have graduate or postgraduate degrees and typically includes both partners, but sometimes one partner will choose to work individually with the therapist.
The only preparation required is to find a therapist that makes you feel at ease, and during your session, you can expect a few benefits of couples counseling to include:
- Problem Solving Skills
- How to Communicate Openly
- How to Discuss Differences Rationally
A few things to keep in mind when choosing a therapist include:
- You might have homework. There may be exercises your therapist gives to help improve communication at home and in your daily life together, using a combination of neuro-linguistic programming techniques learned in your sessions and other tools to help shift your habits and behaviors.
- It may be difficult to discuss specific problems openly. Some issues can be more challenging than others to talk about so there may be times when there is complete silence. There may also be times when there is yelling but consider the therapist as your personal “referee” who is there to help you and your partner deal with any emotions that surface during your session.
- You can attend therapy alone. It is more beneficial to have both parties attend couples counseling as the name implies but you can benefit from an individual session by learning more about your reactions and behaviors.
- Couples counseling is often short-term. Some couples need more time than others, but for the most part, counseling for couples tends to be short-term in duration.
Signs it Might be Time for Couples Counseling
- You keep having the same fight
- You’re unhappy with your sex life
- A significant life change has occurred
- Your partner wants to go to couples counseling
- You want to better your relationship
Relationships have ups and downs, and sometimes taking that first step and admitting you and your partner need counseling is the hardest thing to do, but thankfully there is a safety net you can feel secure in at Miami Hypnosis & Therapy.
Our principal practitioner is Anna Marchenko, LMHC, M.A., Ed.M. who founded Miami Hypnosis & Therapy after attending graduate school at Columbia University, NY and worked in the mental health field in both New York City as well as Miami. Anna’s philosophy is to empower people to change and improve their lives.
The benefits of couples counseling start with you, so get started on transforming your relationship and book your appointment today!
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