What Is Couples Therapy?

Relationships can be challenging, there’s no doubt about that. A relationship is never going to be easy – you’re bound to hit some bumps along the way.

At some point in your relationship, you may find yourself drifting away from your partner – this can be due to life circumstances, work circumstances, or other commitments such as family, children, work and study; even social media and smartphone use could be having an impact on how you and your partner interact. These issues can be heightened when a couple has chosen to live together, to get married, or have children, These circumstances bring on a whole load of extra demands which are bound to impact on a relationship.

Even if your relationship has lost its intimacy or you are arguing more than ever – it doesn’t mean that things are completely over or are not worth saving. Remember – you chose your partner for a reason. Relationship choices are some of the biggest decisions that we make in our lives, and building them takes time and effort.

If you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship, you may try to resolve tensions and problems between yourselves first. If this method isn’t proving itself to be successful – you may want to seek help from a professional and undertake relationship therapy or couples therapy. Although this type of therapy was once referred to as marriage counselling, you don’t necessarily need to be married to have it. This type of therapy can be useful for any body who is in a relationship, regardless of age or gender.

There are many reasons in which you may decide you need to seek help from a professional:

  • Couples counselling can help to resolve arguing, rows, and other unhealthy relationship dynamics
  • Couples counselling can help with a loss of sexual contact or intimacy within a relationship
  • Couples counselling can help couples work through acute crises or unexpected conflicts
  • Counselling can help couples who have decided to end their relationship, but want to end on the best terms possible

Couples counselling (or relationship counselling) is a talking therapy which allows you to identify negative behaviours which can be changed in order to improve your relationship. The aim of this type of therapy is to help you and your partner gain a better understanding of negative patterns within the relationship. Couples counselling can provide you with new tools, ideas and perspectives to help you to get your relationship back on track. This type of therapy can successfully help you gain a sense of warm and loving connection with your partner again. A couples counsellor can help you in many ways and at the same time monitor progress, mediate conflict and give you objective feedback.

Benefits of couples counselling include:

  • Better communication between you and your partner
  • Identifying issues and resolving them within a safe environment
  • Hearing and understanding your partner’s needs without resentment or anger
  • Feeling more valued and a deeper connection
  • Renewed physical and emotional intimacy
  • Moving away from the past to a brighter future
  • Better understanding of yours and your partner’s needs
  • Establishing whether you can continue within your relationship or marriage

Couples counselling can help you through the bumps in the road, meaning your relationship can flourish like never before. 

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