THERAPEUTIC COUNSELING & CONSULTING
Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling
Our romantic relationships bring fulfillment and enrichment to our lives, but that doesn’t mean romantic relationships are simple. Instead, these partnerships take work and commitment, and sometimes, therapy to support and foster healthy, thriving partnerships. On this page, you can learn more about what happens during couples counseling and how it helps relationships.
How Does Couples Counseling Help?
Couples counseling is a beneficial resource at any stage of a relationship. It can help new partners develop a strong relationship. It’s beneficial during a difficult time to help couples navigate life’s challenges, and couples counseling is also beneficial for those who want to sustain a healthy, thriving partnership. Some of specific reasons couples schedule counseling include:
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Provide a safe space to talk through difficult topics.
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Need for better and healthier ways of communicating with partners.
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Increase empathy and understanding between partners.
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Resolve conflicts that damage relationships.
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Navigate life transitions and challenges.
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Provide an objective third party to help with tough situations.
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Cope with grief or loss.
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Understand a partner’s mental or physical health conditions and their impact on the relationship.
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Explore differences in opinion on things like money, familial obligations, work, where to live, etc.
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Heal after infidelity and other betrayals.
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Improve or restore intimacy.
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Create a healthy, satisfying partnership.
Should I Choose Couples Counseling or Individual Therapy Sessions?
Many people aren’t sure if they need individual therapy or couples counseling. Individual therapy is the right solution if you are having individual struggles you want to improve. Working on these issues may improve your relationships, but the concerns shouldn’t necessarily be directly caused by an issue within your relationship. Couples counseling is a better option if both partners need to make changes to improve the partnership. In many cases, both options may be recommended. If you’re feeling unsure, please don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your concerns with our team.
What Happens During Relationship Therapy Sessions?
Depending on the reasons for therapy, you may begin with a couples counseling session followed by individual sessions with each partner. This allows the therapist to understand clearly what each partner is thinking and gauge their therapy goals and buy-in. From there, you’ll work together to set goals for therapy. At each session, your therapist will guide you to explore areas of struggle and talk through issues in a safe space. They may also teach you skills and strategies to improve the relationship and the way you interact with your partner. Your therapist will go in with a plan to utilize evidence-supported therapy approaches, but couples counseling, like individual counseling, is a dynamic process that changes as needed to ensure couples achieve their goals.
Who Offers Couples Counseling?
There are numerous approaches to relationship therapy, and each has its own training and experience requirements. Our team includes therapists and interns; some who are trained in the Gottman method and/or Prepare/Enrich. Our Marriage and Family Therapy Interns have specific specialized training and education in working with couples. At Therapeutic Counseling & Consulting, you can schedule couples counseling sessions with:
How Do I Get Started?
We know the decision to move forward with therapy can be a source of stress on its own, and we never want the process of scheduling a session to be the reason individuals or couples avoid taking that first step. At Therapeutic Counseling & Consulting, we try to make getting started with us easy and stress free. You can complete our quick online scheduling inquiry form, call us at (804) 322-9955, or email appointments@therapeuticcounseling.org. We look forward to hearing from you.