Couples counseling: Does it work?

 

Will couples counseling work? The idea of starting couples counseling is daunting. You may be skeptical about the effectiveness of couples therapy. It takes a lot of energy arguing about the same issues. It’s taxing spending time and energy processing your relationship concerns. It might be strange to consider talking with a stranger. Keep reading to learn if couples counseling could work for you.

 

How do I know if Couples Counseling is Right for Us?

If you and your partner are willing to process your relationship concerns and receive feedback, couples therapy will likely benefit you. All that is required is that you enter the process with an open mind and a readiness to share your perspective. If you are skeptical about how couples counseling could benefit your partner, continue reading through common misconceptions surrounding couples therapy. If you have additional questions, use the resources included at the bottom of this article. Contact a couples counselor in Orlando for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

Will Couples Counseling Work?

Myths About Couples Counseling

 

You and your partner have likely talked for hours about the issues you have.  You both seem to get nowhere. It is the job of the couple’s therapist to gather information. Our job is to ask questions that promote new and productive conversations. Couples therapy should not require rehashing old arguments. It encourages a deeper understanding of what has been discussed. This is done by paving the way for mutually agreed upon steps to take. These steps will lead towards future growth.

Myth #1 Our relationship isn’t “bad enough” to go to couples counseling. 

There is an unfortunate stigma surrounding couples therapy. It implies that couples counseling is a sign of a relationship on the brink of ending.

However, this could not be further from the truth. Couples therapists are equipped to help couples who are struggling to this extent. Couples therapy can help couples in all phases of a relationship. It helps to process points of contention.  It also works towards mutually agreed upon goals. 

 

Myth #2 Other couples have much worse problems and need counseling more. 

Of course this is true. There will always be people who are struggling more than you and there will always be people struggling less than you. We cannot compare our relationships to the relationships of others, at the risk of dismissing our own suffering and avoiding positive change.

If you had a minor injury that needed stitches, you wouldn’t avoid going to the doctor to tend to the injury. We have to tend to conflict in the present in order to avoid greater, more complex issues in the future. 

 

Myth #3 Our relationship is “too far gone” for couples counseling. 

In the same way that people may convince themselves they are not struggling enough to need couples counseling, you may also believe that your relationship is too far gone for therapy to work.

There is no scale to measure how likely it is that your relationship will recover. However, the fact that you are considering couples therapy implies that you have a desire to explore the potential for growth and change. A couples therapist will meet you and your partner in the present moment. They will work to develop tangible goals for sustainable change. 

 

Myth #4 How Couples Counseling Works 

Couples counseling starts with the therapist working to gain an understanding of what is going on in your relationship in the present moment. This process involves hearing each partner’s perspective, not with the intention of determining who is right or wrong, but instead gaining a holistic understanding of the problems you are facing.

A couples therapist will then work to ensure you and your partner understand the other’s perspective without assuming you need to agree with them entirely.

Once you and your partner are able to effectively listen to and understand the perspective of the other without judgment, you can then work towards mutually agreed upon goals for your relationship.  

The process of couples counseling does not ask that you agree with your partner’s perspective or dismiss your own. Instead it asks for a mutual respect of the perspective of the other in order to enact growth and change. 

 

Start Couples Counseling in Orlando Today

At High Expectations Counseling, we are proud to provide couples counseling in Orlando. We acknowledge that starting couples therapy is an intimidating process and we want to ensure we make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.

If you or someone you know is hoping to start couples counseling, we are happy to answer any and all questions you may have about beginning couples counseling in Orlando.

Our therapists offer free, 15-minute phone consultations to answer questions and provide you and your partner with a chance to get to know your therapist, before booking a first session. Schedule a phone consultation. You can also go directly onto the site and book a session. Aso you can call us at (407) 967-1327.  

 

Written by: Hannah Mayderry, Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern

Contact: hannah@therapyhec,com