4 reasons to consider couples counseling – words Alexa Wang
Few things in our lives are as important as our romantic relationships. Our romances can change our lives, and our long-term partnerships will shape our futures and the lives of our children. When things go wrong in a relationship, it can be incredibly difficult to resolve on our own.
You’ll have a much better time working through issues in your relationship if you turn to the people who are professionally trained to help couples. Couples counseling is a powerful way to gain a greater understanding of your own thoughts and behaviors, those of your partner, and the needs that each of you have in your relationship. Here are some of the top reasons your relationship will benefit from seeking couples counseling.
It will bring you closer to your partner
When people turn to couples counseling, therapists say, it is often because of one of three things: money, sex, and parenting. When something is wrong with one or more of the “big three,” it can feel like the relationship is falling apart — and that feeling may well reflect reality.
Counseling can help. In couples counseling, you and your partner will share how you feel and what you want — not just in money, sex, or parenting, but in all relevant areas of your life. What you’ll likely find is that counseling isn’t just about mediating a negotiation over your shopping budget or your parenting style. It’s about coming closer to your partner and rebuilding your connection. That’s a bigger deal than any individual debate or disagreement — and it will put you in a better position to resolve those disagreements, too.
It will help your personal mental health
Being in a relationship isn’t always easy, and it can have a profound impact on our overall mental health. And the reverse is true, too: The state of our mental health can affect our relationship.
Counseling and therapy with your partner can help you understand more than just how your relationship works and how to make it better. It can also help you understand yourself and your own needs. What kind of validation do you need? What is missing from your life that you want?
Couples counseling isn’t the only kind of therapy that you could use to improve your life, of course. You can and should try individual cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, as well. Even if your partner won’t go to couples therapy or wants to stop attending after a few sessions, you should keep caring for your own mental health with individual sessions.
There are counselors who understand your lifestyle
There are a lot of different counselors, therapists, and psychologists out there — and they can specialize in a lot of different things. That’s a good thing, because you’re unique. You have your own mental health challenges and priorities, and you have certain things (both big and small) that make you you.
So find a therapist who you trust and who respects your lifestyle. Look for gay couple counseling, or counselors who specialize in substance abuse issues, or counselors who understand your anxiety issues. When it comes to counseling and therapy, one size does not fit all!
Couples counseling can help any couple
You don’t have to have a big problem in your relationship to benefit from couples counseling. The keys to a beautiful long-term relationship, including intimacy and communication, can be helped along in a big way by couples therapy. That’s one of the reasons why even the happiest couples can truly benefit from couples counseling sessions.
Remember that attending couples therapy isn’t a sign of weakness in your relationship — it’s a sign of the strength of commitment to make your relationship as good as possible. No matter how wonderful your relationship or marriage is, you can make it better and stronger.
