Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling
What is a couple?
A couple refers to two people. I don't determine how you define your relationship or what constitutes as a "couple." Some common examples of couples are those who are married, those who are in a romantic relationship, an intimate friendship, etc.
Why would someone go to couples counseling?
Couples counseling differs from individual counseling in that the unit is the focus rather than an individual. Couples might seek counseling to help with conflict, process trauma that they endured together, help communicate with each other in a better and more effective way, rebuild a strained relationship, dealing with infidelity, managing a relationship with someone with a mental health or substance use disorder, parenting issues, etc.
Couples counseling does not have to only occur once a problem exists. Some people seek counseling prior to entering into a committed relationship to ensure everyone is on the same page and there is a mutual understanding. If you are changing the dynamics of your relationship, such as getting married, having kids, adding an additional partner, etc. you may seek counseling as a preventative measure.
What if I have a non-traditional relationship?
If you are in a non-traditional relationship such as polyamory, open relationship, etc. you can still seek therapy as a whole unit if that is what is desired. It would fall under the category of "family" counseling due to there being 3 or more people involved.
What will couples counseling look like?
Because the focus in on the unit rather than the individual, couples counseling looks very different from individual counseling. However, some of the same techniques are used. The goal of couples counseling is to allow both parties to feel heard and understood. There may be times where it feels like the therapist is taking one side over the other. It is important to express those thoughts and feelings, while also acknowledging sometimes we become defensive when people are telling us things we aren't ready or wanting to hear.
Couples counseling will include a variety of techniques that don't only involve talking. Games and activities will likely be incorporated into the sessions to determine communication patterns and see where the breakdown in communication and understanding might occur.
There are some special considerations with couples counseling that will be discussed prior to starting sessions. Privacy and confidentiality are fundamentally different than in individual sessions due to there being more than one person in the sessions. This requires us to discuss some important topics related to couples counseling specifically.