When is it necessary and how can couple psychotherapy help?
A couple’s partners come into the relationship with a personal history. They have already formed a set of norms and values acquired in their family of origin or as a result of life experiences that make them have certain expectations about the future that may differ more or less from those of their partner.
- Reasons for seeking couples therapy/counselling:
- Arguments or lack of communication
- Infidelity
- Indecision about whether or not to stay in the relationship
- Jealousy
- Verbal or physical violence
- Disagreements about parenthood
- Disrespect for individual freedoms
- Toxic friends of one partner
- Interventions of one partner’s family
- Career
- Family budget
- When is couple psychotherapy required?
- Premarital counselling – before the couple is formed
- Couple counselling – when the couple is having problems
- Individual counselling for a couple member – when the partner does not want to come to the psychologist or when you think you can solve problems without the partner’s help.
- How can psychotherapy/couples counselling help?
- Obviously, if you have turned to couples psychotherapy, it means that you are experiencing some problems. These are discussed and you try to find a solution together that suits both partners. In order to achieve results, the approach includes two approaches, one personal and one couple approach.
In the personal approach, the aim is to:
- Assessing the problems and dividing them according to seriousness
- Assessment of the way of communication
- Moving from communication that includes: bad words, hatred, anger, blaming, offense, high tone to a solution focused communication.
- Role-play to discover how the problem is seen from the partner’s point of view
- Finding solutions that suit both partners
- Discussing the solutions found personally within the couple
In couple meetings:
- Increasing assertive communication
- Increasing active listening
- Rediscovering affectionate communication
- Developing solution-focused communication
- Trying to understand each other’s point of view
- Finding and presenting the most accurate and assertive solutions for the couple, based on the consensus of both parties.
- Active support and willingness to develop partner(s)’ motivation for problem solving
