Reasons Why Couples Counseling Is Important

By Lelia Hall


Varying issues within marriage need certain resolution plans. Couples counseling or marriage therapy is a subbranch of psychotherapy. It is administered by marriage specialists to partners who consider improving intimacy and understanding or seek divorce. The emphasis is put on the marriage or relationship and not the people involved. Self improvement and self awareness might be the central focus for each individual.

A number of factors may warrant necessity for such services. The reasons could range from infidelity, sexual dissatisfaction, communication problems to power struggles in a relationship. Counseling is recommended within the earliest time possible when partners start feeling discontented. Early intervention is important as it increases chances of repairing the relationship.

The therapy deals with many aspects of life in marriage with focus on communication. The reason for most marital unhappiness and divorce cases is lack of sufficient repair after a conflict. Partners who use conflict avoidance techniques for long or argue a lot normally have problems with communication. This in turn leads to detaste and it can be hard to work out their differences.

The first step to improving relationships that most therapists teach is communication. They teach each partner how to control their emotions, remain calm, and using good communication skills to solve both old and new problems. The steps have proven to be helpful if followed accordingly. The efficiency and success of marriage therapy depends greatly on dedication and motivation of concerned parties. More dedication translates to faster positive results, hence less time committed on counseling.

The expectation is that upon termination of the sessions an individual will have acquired important listening and communication skills. The acquired skills are expected to help them support and relate better to each other. A couple sets goals to achieve upon termination of the agreed duration with close help from their counselors. To avoid possible conflicts the roles of each concerned party is stated clearly during the setting of goals.

Sessions for relationship therapy are available once in a week. The frequency can vary as per the results expected and whether the customer is on other individual or group sessions. Psychotherapy is offered in a wider range of settings. Sessions can stop after a certain duration of time or until the problem is fully solved between the parties involved.

There are many strategies to marriage therapy, though therapists use approaches that are likely to work with the problem the customer is having. The strategies include internal family systems therapy, emotionally focused therapy, imago therapy, Gottman model and pastoral therapy among others. Pastoral counseling involves members of the clergy like pastors, rabbis, and priests amongst other professionals in the same group.

To increase chances of positive therapy outcomes is is good to consult a therapist who specializes in the issue affecting the relationship. Finding a therapist may be hard but the internet provides a viable solution to this problem. A qualified therapist usually has a license. It is good to consult the families that the specialist worked for comments. Most of them have details pertaining their job on their private websites.




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