How Couples Therapy Addresses Conflicts and Improves Intimacy
How Couples Therapy Addresses
Often, couples wait until they reach a point of conflict within their relationship before they seek therapy. But that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be addressed with a little help from an expert.
couples therapy addresses conflicts by addressing the issues that are causing them to arise in the first place, suggests psychologist Sarah Mueller of Psychology Today. In addition, therapy can improve communication skills, help couples work through difficult situations, and give partners a better understanding of one another.
A therapist can also teach you and your partner new ways to express your feelings and needs without attacking or blaming each other. This can help you both feel better about yourself and your relationship as a whole.
How Couples Therapy Addresses Conflicts and Improves Intimacy
The main goal of couples therapy is to improve the quality of your relationship. That means helping you and your partner understand each other better, learn how to communicate more effectively, resolve problems together, and create shared goals.
In order to be effective, a couple needs to be willing to invest the time and energy necessary to get the most out of it. This involves being open to discussing the issues at hand, making progress during sessions, and implementing changes outside of them.
Many different types of therapy are available for couples, from behavioral therapy to emotional-focused therapies. Each method has its own strengths and limitations, so you’ll want to ask your therapist about the type of treatment they’ll recommend for you and your partner.
Narrative therapy is a common type of couples therapy that helps you and your partner to rewrite your relationship narratives. This can help you and your partner identify the parts of your relationship story that are causing you problems, explains licensed marriage and family therapist Moshe Ratson.
Imago relationship therapy is another type of couple’s counseling that focuses on the connections between your past and your current relationships. It aims to increase empathy and understanding between you and your partner by exploring childhood trauma.
During an initial session, your therapist will take an extensive intake to learn more about you and your partner. They may also discuss how you met and your early years in the relationship to gain insight into your past.
This can help the therapist to make an informed assessment of your relationship and create an appropriate treatment plan.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy, or CBT, can help you and your partner identify patterns of behavior that are leading to negativity and arguing. The therapist will then teach you new strategies to solve these problems and prevent them from recurring.
Emotionally-focused therapy, or EFT, is a type of couples therapy that aims to increase bonding and attachment between you and your partner. It can also help you and your partner to identify the emotions that are triggering disconnection in the relationship, explains Ellen Wachtel, a therapist in Chicago.
Other therapies include the Gottman Method, which is a popular technique used by many couples therapists. It’s based on research from the Gottman Institute, and it teaches you and your partner how to use techniques to reduce stress, build intimacy, and resolve conflict.
