Is Couples Counseling Right for You? Insights from Take Charge Inc

Are you considering couples counseling? Couples counseling is a type of psychotherapy aimed at helping couples improve their relationship. If you have doubts about your relationship or feel like there are more arguments than talks, it might be time to investigate therapy to strengthen your relationship. Terri Dichiser utilizes couples counseling to help couples recognize the patterns they have established in their relationship and offers tools and strategies to break those patterns to create a renewed sense of safety and security with your partner.

Determining whether couples counseling is right for you involves considering several factors about your relationship and your challenges. While every therapist does things a little differently, you can expect a few things, like discussing the history of issues in your relationship and setting your goals for counseling. Terri uses emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) in couples counseling to help you and your spouse move past the surface problems you face into the root issues that brought your relationship to this point. Your therapist will ask about the main issues you want to address as well as the primary sources of stress in your relationship. Whether they are financial worries, parenting disagreements, intimacy issues, communication problems, or other stressors, it is crucial to be open and honest. It is important that both of you learn your negative patterns and how to interrupt those patterns. Here are some signs that couples counseling might be beneficial for you:

• Communication Issues: Are you having frequent misunderstandings? If you and your partner often misunderstand each other or have trouble communicating effectively. If important conversations are avoided or lead to arguments.
• Frequent Conflicts: If you find yourselves arguing frequently and unable to resolve conflicts, and if these conflicts remain unresolved and continue to resurface.
• Emotional Distance: If you feel emotionally distant from your partner or sense a growing gap between you. If physical or emotional intimacy has decreased or disappeared.
• Trust Issues: If there has been infidelity or other breaches of trust that have not been fully addressed. If there are ongoing issues with suspicion, jealousy, or lack of trust.
• Life Transitions: If you are going through significant life changes such as marriage, having a baby, relocation, or retirement and are struggling to adjust together. If you are facing a significant crisis, such as losing a loved one, financial problems, or severe illness.
• Unmet Needs: If either partner feels their needs are not being met within the relationship. If there is an imbalance in the relationship where one partner feels they are giving more than they are receiving.
• Desire for Improvement: If you both want to improve your relationship and are willing to work together towards that goal. If you are interested in personal growth and how it can positively impact your relationship.
• Repeated Patterns: If you notice repeating patterns of negative behavior or communication that you can’t seem to break. If you feel stuck on the same arguments or issues without progress,
• Decision-Making Challenges: If you are facing significant decisions about your relationship, such as whether to stay together and need guidance. If you need help planning your future together and aligning your goals.

Setting goals is key to any first therapy session. It is okay if you aren’t sure what those goals should be, as your therapist will help you figure them out together. Already being aware of your goals going in does give you a head start but is not a necessity. You and your partner may not immediately see eye to eye on your goals for therapy – this is common. These seemingly contrasting perspectives should not discourage you. With the help of a trained therapist, you may find that your goals are not as different as they seem. Sometimes, partners struggle to imagine how their relationship could change because they haven’t yet discovered what works, not because their marriage is irreparable.

The key to couples counseling really working is if everyone is on the same page. Both partners should be willing to participate in counseling and work on the relationship. Couples counseling is a tool that can help address a wide range of relationship issues. If you and your partner are experiencing any of these challenges and are open to seeking help, couples counseling will be a valuable resource. Take Charge Inc. realizes that taking the first step into counseling can be difficult. Our goal is to provide as much information as possible so you can make the best decision on how to proceed. There is no pressure to schedule an appointment. When you decide to take that step – contact Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255 or click here.