What to Expect From Couples Counseling
You’re more likely to find success in counseling, including relationship therapy, if you’re comfortable with your therapist. Finding one who is a good fit for you and your partner is essential. Of course, you’ll want to find a counselor who practices couples therapy.
If you are in the Orange County area and are interested in a marriage counseling or relationship therapy session you won’t forget, feel free to visit Psychic Paula at the OC Crystal Cave at 24501 Marguerite Parkway, Suite 5 in Mission Viejo. You can also reach Paula by phone at 949-485-0095 to make an appointment or send her an email.
The idea of couples counseling seems pretty straightforward, right? A married couple is having problems, so they go to a therapist to fix them. They sit on either side of a sofa and explain to the marriage counselor what they don’t like about their partner. The counselor listens patiently and then provides sage advice. And voila! They have the answer to their relationship issues, and they walk off, hand in hand, into the sunset to live happily married ever after.
Unfortunately, there are several things wrong with this scenario. Marriage is hard work, and couples therapy requires participation, willingness, and commitment from both partners to achieve optimum results.
Statistics show that most couples wait an average of six years before seeking relationship therapy. Some believe that if they ignore the problem, it will go away on its own, while others worry that suggesting counseling means admitting that the relationship is in trouble. The best advice is to seek therapy as soon as you recognize you have relationship issues, or before, so you can prevent them or learn to work through them healthily.
Be honest with your partner about your belief in relationship therapy as a way to improve your marriage. Explain in a respectful way that you want your relationship to change and grow, and treatment will help you achieve that goal. Unfortunately, even though individual therapy is an essential component of couples counseling, there is no evidence that individual treatment alone will help solve marital problems.
