All couples have their ups and downs, and can sometimes struggle under the pressures of everyday life. But, not addressing conflicts are not healthy and can leave you feeling depressed, lonely, disconnected and exhausted.
How does therapy help my relationship?
There are many reasons why people seek couples’ counselling; some common reasons are lack of intimacy, trust or communication. You may be arguing a lot and feel you are not being heard or understood by the other person. This may leave you feeling frustrated and disconnected. Therapy can help you to communicate without passing blame to the other person – so you can both see the other’s perspective and form a deeper understanding and compassion for each other and the situation.
The immediate problems will be worked through, and the therapist will also take the history to understand how the past is affecting the present and what stands in the way of meeting your partner in a healthy and more positive way today. Lastly, we will uncover the values one has in terms of what it means to be in a meaningful relationship, and what are the qualities one would like to bring into this.
In conclusion, Couples’ therapy can help a relationship that’s under a crisis (e.g. infidelity), or be of great service if a couple is feeling disconnected, or need some support in facing new challenges together (e.g. parenting issues, money troubles, loss/grief of a dear one, health problems, career changes, sex problems, etc). The purpose is to learn to handle painful thoughts and feelings more effectively, and engage fully in the process of living and loving together.