Maintaining a relationship is not easy, no matter how much you love each other. Partners may hold different perspectives and values, disagreements arise from time to time, and major life changes can shake up even the most stable situations.
Just because you’re experiencing hardships in your relationship doesn’t mean it’s destined for failure. But if you feel like you could use a neutral and professional perspective, it could be time to see a couples therapist or marriage counselor.
Often, couples are so close to a problem that they find it hard to find an obvious solution. That’s where relationship counseling can help. Bringing in an unbiased, third-party viewpoint can help partners better understand what’s going on in their relationship. A therapist or counselor can give you the tools you need to deal with your issues and help you get on the same page again.
We understand that some couples may be reluctant to start seeing a couples therapist. They may feel uncomfortable discussing their problems or they may not want to admit their issues are getting out of hand. But relationship problems are nothing to be ashamed of. Many couples have reached out to a couples therapist to fix their relationships, including famous celebrities.
For instance, pop star Pink and her husband, Carey Hart, have had their shares of ups and downs throughout their marriage. Marriage counseling helped to decrease the number of yelling matches they had, which was beginning to affect their daughter, Willow. That’s not to say they still don’t have disagreements, but they aren’t as severe and hurtful as they once were.
Pink and her husband took advantage of relationship counseling to help them find solutions to their problems, and that same support is available to you. A couples therapist can help you resolve conflict in your relationship, build intimacy, and improve the way you communicate with each other. At Thriveworks in Arlington, TX, our marriage and family therapists can support you both as you work through your problems so you come out on the other side happier and healthier.
Common Reasons To Seek Out Relationship Counseling
Here are some of the problems that may let you know it’s time to reach out for help:
- If one of you struggles with addiction or substance abuse
- If one of you struggles with anger issues
- If there’s a lack of intimacy in your relationship
- If there’s a lack of trust between you and your partner
- If you feel like you aren’t communicating like you once did
- If a disparity in values is causing hardships
- If agreements never seem to resolve
If your relationship doesn’t feel the way it once did, help is available. Consider reaching out to a Thriveworks mental health professional in Arlington, TX.
How Does Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling Work?
Couples therapy can be intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Here is an idea of how your sessions could be conducted.
Your therapist will start by talking to you as individuals or as a couple to determine the underlying causes of your relationship issues. From there, you will work with your therapist to determine a goal and a timeline.
Every couple’s goals will be different and may change over time. In some cases, the goal may be to argue less. In other instances, it may be to approach divorce in a civil, healthy manner. The form of treatment will largely depend on your desired outcome from couples therapy.
Throughout your sessions, your therapist will help you work on the skills you need to improve your relationship. You may need to focus on communication, trust, stress management, selflessness, patience, or forgiveness, among others.
To practice these skills, you may be given assignments to try outside of your appointments. For example, someone struggling to get in touch with their emotions may be asked to keep a journal as a way of building that awareness. A couple desiring more intimacy may be tasked with setting aside time for dates or alone time away from their kids.
In addition to couples therapy, you may also be asked to come in for individual sessions. These appointments can help each partner work on personal issues that may be negatively impacting the relationship.
Couples counseling can help put the spark back into your relationship. When you’re ready to get started, contact us to schedule an appointment.
Schedule Couples Therapy or Marriage Counseling in Arlington, TX
At Thriveworks in Arlington, TX, we make it as easy as possible to get started.
We offer early morning, evening, and weekend appointments to fit your schedule, as well as a flexible cancellation policy if something urgent would come up before your next session. If you’d rather speak to a therapist online, you can do so thanks to our convenient telehealth appointments.
If you are having relationship issues with your partner, Thriveworks in Arlington, TX can help. When you’re ready, give us a call and we will get you started on the right path.
