4 Reasons You Should Consider Couples Therapy

Have you ever considered couples counseling or marriage counseling? This subject can be polarizing, but it shouldn’t have to be! It is a misconception that couples counseling must always have a negative connotation. In fact, It shouldn’t ever have one. Couples counseling is not only for troubled times in a couple’s relationship. However, even if a couple has troubled times, it can be a good sign if they are interested in counseling and making repairs rather than a bad sign. Today we’ll discuss some good reasons to consider counseling as a couple at any stage in your relationship.

Prevention

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always best to wait until there’s a big “problem” in your relationship to seek counseling. Think of it in terms of physical healthcare. Yes, you can go to urgent care or the emergency room if there’s an immediate issue. However, with preventative medicine like a checkup, you might actually be able to avoid a trip to the emergency room later on if a checkup could prevent your health needs from escalating to that point.

Having regular check-ins with a couples counselor can help you add new tools to the toolbox of relationship skills that you and your partner have. Therapy is an excellent tool for identifying areas that aren’t a big deal now, but could become a big deal later if left unaddressed. This can be great for new couples who are diving deeper into their commitment to one another and beginning to really learn each other on a new level. Choosing therapy at this stage in a partnership is a wonderful way for individuals in a partnership to show up for one another and grow together since they’re learning and evolving as a unit.

Mediation

Even the best communicators may occasionally run into obstacles that are difficult to navigate. If there is a repeated issue that’s cramping your normal style as a couple, counseling is a great way to get a fresh, professional, perspective while also having a buffer in place to make sure things don’t run too far off track or out of control. In addition to addressing a particular issue at hand, you’ll likely learn new methods of approaching your partner that could be useful in navigating future obstacles.

Correction

Despite the fact that most of us generally have the best intentions in our relationships, it’s pretty common for individuals to bring their own maladaptive coping mechanisms, past traumas, and other unique struggles into a relationship. Even when it’s apparent that our coping mechanisms are wreaking havoc in our relationships, it can be extremely difficult to let them go. This is because they served a purpose at one time or another in our lives and may still be doing so. Our bodies and brains are physiologically designed to sense danger and do what they can to keep us safe. Relationships, even good ones, can be extremely triggering and bring out habits previously developed for protection that are harmful to the relationship.

Meeting with a therapist for couples counseling in a case like this can be tremendously beneficial for learning new, healthier coping mechanisms as a couple as well as ways of stepping back to self-regulate or leaning in to co-regulate when new relationship challenges trigger one or both of you.

Collaboration

The best relationships of every kind are relationships that are collaborative. When each part of the team is committed to showing up and co-creating their mutual experience, amazing things can happen. Collaboration can happen at any stage in a relationship, and many on the outside may see a healthy, happy relationship and wonder why they feel the need for couples therapy. Those who participate in couples therapy might alternatively argue that they can attribute much of the health and happiness in their relationship to their commitment to one another through couples therapy.

At the end of the day, there is no wrong time to consider couples therapy. As long as both parties are mutually invested in the success of the team, it can be beneficial to employ resources and collect tools that assist couples in continually increasing their communication, intimacy, play, and overall enjoyment of their partnership. For insight into what to look for in a good therapist when choosing one for couples counseling, check out our recent blog about Green Flags to Look For in a Therapist.

For support with marriage or couples counseling in South Tampa, contact us at Genesis Counseling to book an appointment.