There’s a long-standing assumption that couples only go to counseling as a last resort attempt to save their relationship, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many reasons why couples would seek out a therapist. They may want to learn more effective ways to communicate with each other; they may seek to clarify feelings about their relationship or where it’s headed. Some couples need help processing trauma within the relationship, such as infidelity.

Many people are hesitant about going to couples therapy because the prospect of discussing the most intimate details of their relationship with someone they’ve never met is understandably scary. Most people don’t realize that it’s often easier to open up to a stranger, and the therapist can offer a fresh perspective on issues in the relationship.

All relationships can be challenging, and there’s often confusion about how the other person feels and where the relationship stands. Many couples come to counseling knowing that they want to stay together and work on their issues, but others may be torn about whether they should remain in the relationship at all. In couples counseling, a therapist can help shine a light on aspects of the relationship and guide the couple in the best direction. Having a dedicated time to work out these issues in a relationship is helpful whether the couple ends up staying together or not.

Disagreement on significant issues like communication and family planning often brings couples to therapy, but it’s also the little things that can build up over time. Living together takes many adjustments and compromises, and quarrels about minor things like whose turn it is to take out the trash or sharing cooking duties can snowball into major resentment. Those petty arguments  may even be the result of deeper issues that should be addressed. By participating in couples counseling, these potential roadblocks can be dealt with before they spiral out of control.

Couples therapy supports individual growth. A couple in a relationship may feel like they’ve been focusing on their bond so much that they’ve lost touch with old friends, neglected favorite hobbies, or drifted away from other parts of their lives and may begin to reclaim time for these things. Couples therapy can help them find a path to explore their own interests. As important as a relationship is, having outside interests and passions is also key to personal growth.

Your relationship with your partner tends to affect other people in your life, and how you relate to each other might correlate with how you relate to others, such as family, friends, and co-workers. It’s not only the relationship that could benefit from couples counseling.

Don’t wait to use couples therapy as a last resort- being proactive and investing in your relationship will pay off later.  Whether you need to work through trauma, make major life decisions or improve communication, couples counseling can be an excellent way to reach those goals.

Contact Serene Health at (844) SER-ENE8  or  (844) 737-3638to get more information about scheduling a couples counseling session. We offer appointments via our Telehealth app so you can have a session from wherever you feel most comfortable.