Peter and Debbie hadn’t had sex once in the two years since Debbie’s father had died. It wasn’t like the couple made a conscious decision not to be intimate. It’s just that two weeks without sex turned into two months and then two months into two years. Peter accepted that his wife was grieving and he didn’t pressure her to have sex. She showed physical affection in other ways like cuddling on the couch during movies and giving Peter a massage when his back was sore. But lately Debbie had withdrawn even those small displays of affection, and Peter felt hurt and confused. Did Debbie no longer find him attractive?
When Peter brought up the couple’s lack of a sex life, Debbie apologized over and over again. She seemed to feel terrible about it and retreat further into herself. And nothing changed. So Peter brought up the idea of seeing a couples counselor and Debbie agreed it might help to talk to someone highly trained and objective. They booked an appointment right away with a marriage therapist at Thriveworks in Champaign, IL.
Fortunately, Debbie and Peter had recognized that their intimacy problems might be an indication that something was amiss with their relationship at-large. Working closely with a Thriveworks marriage counselor, Debbie realized that she felt survivor’s guilt because she was alive and her father wasn’t, and it subconsciously caused her to withhold pleasure from herself. The Thriveworks counselor helped give Debbie the language to communicate her complex feelings to Peter, and then worked with both husband and wife to help them ease back into intimacy. After just a few online therapy sessions, the couple felt that a great weight had been lifted from their relationship.
Couples therapy and marriage counseling is a way of reestablishing balance and connection in a relationship when things feel “off.” Thriveworks licensed marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are here to help.
What Kind of Results Can We Expect from Couples and Marriage Counseling?
“Progress” in relationship therapy can look different for different couples. When you first start couples and marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Champaign, IL, try to think about your goals for the sessions. Some common goals include:
- I want to reignite the spark in our relationship.
- I want to feel appreciated.
- I want to manage conflict better.
- I want to feel heard.
- I want to feel understood.
- I want to have a better sex life.
- I want us to communicate better.
- I want to spend more quality time together.
- I want to reconnect.
- I want to repair our relationship after a crisis.
- I want to work through my spouse’s affair.
- I want my spouse to open up to me.
You can confront all of these goals, and more, in couples counseling. A licensed marriage therapist at Thriveworks in Champaign, IL is trained to help tweeze out underlying issues in relationships and give couples a safe place to explore solutions.
How Do I Find the Right Couples Therapist or Marriage Counselor in Champaign, IL?
Couples who feel reluctant to see a therapist for the first time might be reassured to know that marriage counselors at Thriveworks in Champaign, IL are fully licensed, top-rated, highly qualified, and experienced in all kinds of specialized relationship therapy. When you begin to look for the counselor who’s right for you and your partner, you may consider the following questions:
- Does the therapist take my insurance? (Thriveworks therapists do.)
- Does the therapist offer online appointments? (Thriveworks therapists do.)
- Does the therapist specialize in helping couples like me and my spouse? (Thriveworks therapists can be experienced in helping all kinds of couples: LGBTQ, Christian, interracial, engaged, etc.)
- Do I like the therapist’s approach? (Thriveworks therapists have training in diverse therapeutic methods like the Gottman method and emotionally focused couples therapy to help resolve issues within relationships.)
You and your spouse can discuss the criteria that are most important to each of you and decide on a counselor together. Agreeing about who you will see may help increase commitment from both partners.
Thriveworks Marriage Counselors Are Here to Help: Schedule Your Appointment Today
When you make an appointment with a couples therapist or marriage counselor at Thriveworks in Champaign, IL, you receive all the added benefits of Thriveworks. For example, as a Thriveworks therapy client you can reach your counselor via email or phone, day or night, between sessions. Your appointments will most likely start on time or early—no waiting. You get access to exclusive video content about mental health issues as well as our Ask-a-coach 24hr Q&A.
Best of all, when you make your call to the Thriveworks office in Champaign, IL, our team will be able to place you with a therapist quickly. Often you will be sitting in your first session within 24-48 hours.
Don’t hesitate any longer to get the help that you and your partner need. Call Thriveworks to schedule your first marriage counseling appointment today.
