What is couples & marriage counseling?
Couples therapy and marriage counseling, also known as relationship counseling, helps couples work through their specific relationship issues. Some examples of common focuses within couples therapy and marriage counseling include:
- Jealousy
- Trust issues
- Infidelity
- Opposing values
- Different visions for the future
- Disagreements in parenting
- Lack of trust
- Financial distress
- Sex issues
What type of therapy is used in couples therapy?
The types of therapy used in couples and marriage counseling include:
- The Gottman Method
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-focused therapy (EFT)
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Strength-based therapy
What kind of therapist is best for couples?
At Thriveworks, Couples & marriage counseling is led by licensed professionals — often licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) — who are experts in their field and best-equipped to help couples.
What is the Gottman Method of couples therapy?
The Gottman Method of couples therapy is a research-supported approach designed to enhance relationships by bolstering the bond between partners, resolving conflicts, and fostering shared meaning in their relationship through comprehensive assessments and tailored interventions that improve communication, trust, and the overall health of the partnership.
How to tell if I need couples therapy?
If you’re facing persistent relationship problems, communication breakdowns, or unresolved conflicts that are impacting your emotional well-being and happiness, Couples & marriage counseling may be beneficial for you.
Should every couple go to couples therapy?
While marriage and couple’s counseling is typically recommended for couples who are experiencing persistent or severe relationship issues, any relationship can benefit from attending these sessions.
Is couples & marriage counseling conducted in person or online?
Marriage and couples counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you and your partner.
How long does couples & marriage counseling last?
On average, couples attend marriage and couples counseling for 12 weeks. However, couples & marriage counseling may last longer or shorter, dependent on the couples’ needs, the challenges they’d like to work through, and the pace of their progress.
How much does couples & marriage counseling cost?
At Thriveworks, we take most major forms of insurance, which means that many of our clients only pay $0-$50 co-pay per session. However, there are also self-pay options that sit around $200 per session, depending on the service and location, for those who are out-of-network.
Need more help deciding?
A famous therapist once said, “Marriage is a people-growing machine.” He meant a lot of things by this, but the biggest one was that the crucible of marriage forces us to change who we are. We can either be purified by the fire, or we can burn ourselves and others. Marital therapy’s whole goal is to help reduce the burning and increase the purifying. Do you want to be a passive passenger on the journey of your relationship, watching it dissolve from the sidelines? What say do you want to have in the health and growth of your own marriage?
Being married for many people is a sacred act of bonding two souls into one harmonious unit. The problem with that idea, is that we aren’t really prepared anymore for how to do this. We apprehensively give of ourselves. We lack the ability to share our vulnerable truths. We struggle to trust because we’ve been hurt before. We don’t know how to share income and parenting. Half of us don’t even know how to share a closet or bathroom! Marital therapy is about the opportunity to discover what interactions between partners are keeping you stuck and finding alternatives that help you have the relationship you always wanted and hoped for.
It seems like almost every couple who comes into therapy starts with “communication” as their issue. I can tell you, it’s never just “communication.” It’s trust. It’s fear. It’s the way we were raised. It’s missed expectations. It’s differences in passion. It’s choices around career or vacations or children or friends or food. It’s not expressing or receiving love. Communication is the “how” of all of those things, and you can’t not communicate. After all, no communication still speaks volumes. Marital therapy is less concerned about the specifics of what you are struggling to communicate, and more concerned about empowering your communication to work for you. This is going to require both parties to change to some degree. Your therapist is going to hold you accountable to your changes while holding your partner to theirs. It’s not about blame or shame. It’s about owning your own stuff in ways that are more humble, curious, and respectful. (Also, since the mind is the most erogenous part of the body, great communication = great sex. Yep, you read that right.)
Every now and then, marriages are not actually supposed to be forever. The relationships run their course and that season of both of your lives comes to an end. A famous anthropologist married to a therapist once suggested, “Everyone should be married three times. Once for love, once for parenting, and once for companionship.” It’s been said that the lucky ones are married to the same person all three times. Whether or not that is true for you, recognizing we change and our motivations for being married also change, marital therapy can help you figure out what’s best for you, your partner, and your children in whatever stage you are in.
Daniel Stillwell, PhD is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with couples and relationships.
To get started today, simply give us a call at (704) 969-2597 or request an appointment online!
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