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What are the Benefits of Couples Therapy? Does it Really Work?

Couples therapy, is designed to help couples work through their problems and improve their relationship. By meeting with a trained therapist it can help you and your partner to discussing issues in your relationship related to a variety of areas such as communication, trust, intimacy, and conflict resolution. While you may be hesitant to seek out couples therapy, there are several reasons why it can be incredibly helpful for your relationship.

One of the main benefits of couples therapy is that it provides a safe and neutral space for couples to communicate and work through their issues. When couples try to address their problems on their own, it can be easy to get stuck in unproductive patterns of communication and behavior. We all have our own unique blind spots when it comes to our stuff and it’s easy to get focused on our partners stuff and lose perspective on ourselves. Couples therapy allows a trained therapist to act as a mediator, facilitating productive conversations and helping both partners feel heard and understood. In the relationship it can be easy to focus more on being right than on growing closer, and in couples counseling the relationship really is the focus of the professional. A good couples counselor isn’t on either individual’s side, they are working to help the couple be at their most healthy.

Another benefit of couples therapy is that it can help couples develop new skills and strategies for dealing with conflict. Sometimes we lack skills because of a lack of learning from our families or origin, or maybe you’ve picked up some bad habits in other relationships that you didn’t realize were bad habits. Whether it’s learning how to communicate more effectively, practicing active listening, or finding ways to compromise, couples therapy can provide couples with the tools they need to navigate challenging situations in a more productive and positive way. These skills can not only improve the couple’s current relationship, but also carry over into other areas of their lives, such as work and friendships. Having encouraging neutral person to point out what tools are needed and when they aren’t being used properly can be very helpful.

Couples therapy can also help couples work through specific issues that may be causing problems in their relationship. Each relationship is different and no cookie cutter self-help book will be right to help all situations. Your own family of origin experiences, relationship history, trauma history, values, and situations as a couple will impact the specific focus of counseling. For example, if one partner is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, couples therapy can provide a safe space for both partners to discuss the impact of these issues on their relationship and work together to find a solution. Similarly, if one partner has been unfaithful, couples therapy can provide a way for the couple to address the infidelity and work on rebuilding trust and repairing their relationship. A good couples counselor can help you to focus on the issues that really impact your relationship and to see the big picture and problematic patterns instead of getting bogged down in the details.

Finally, couples therapy can be a powerful way for couples to strengthen their bond and deepen their intimacy. It is normal for relationships to change over time and warm feelings can ebb and fizzle for seasons. The world suggests that this is the time to quit and move on to something new, but love is a choice and feelings can be restored with work. It’s unrealistic to expect that relationships will always feel the same and maintain the same levels of passion, connectedness, and joy, but it is realistic to rekindle these things with work. Couples who claim that they have never disagreed and have appreciated every new thing they have learned about each other are either lying to themselves or haven’t been together for very long.

Statistics show that between 70% and 97% of couples have benefited from couples therapy, and a big part of that is the willingness to do the hard work on the relationship. By working through your problems together, you can build a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other. You can also learn new ways to connect emotionally and physically, which can help to rekindle feelings of love and passion that may have been lost over time. If you and your partner are experiencing problems in your relationship, consider reaching out to a qualified couples therapist and find new skills, new perspective, and new hope today.

April 2023, Jenny Beall, Counselor, Threads of Hope Counseling

COVID-19  NOTICE

We at Threads of Hope Counseling care deeply for you, your families, and our community. As the concern regarding the spread of COVID-19 increases worldwide, Threads of Hope is prepared to reduce the spread of illness by following the expert guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH continues to stress common-sense illness prevention strategies such as sanitizing surfaces, covering your cough and sneezes, and frequent hand washing.

If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a viral respiratory infection including fever, cough, and shortness of breath or if you or someone you have been in contact with traveled internationally in the last 14 days, please DO NOT come to our office. Instead we are happy to offer you telemedicine (online video) services.

Telemedicine appointments are HIPAA secure, do not require any downloads, and can be accessed on any device with microphone and internet access. Ask your provider or the administrative staff if this is a service you’d like to pursue.

Additionally, there is a lot of misinformation being spread regarding this virus which has inspired significant anxiety in many in the community. Look here for ideas on how to reduce your fear while remaining wise in facing the uncertainty of this disease.
We are here for you and there is always hope.