Season after season, viewers tune into VH1’s Couples Therapy to see partners work on their relationships. These celebrity couples are led through a series of exercises that put their relationships to the test. High-profile couples counselors work with each pair to address issues that have been holding back their relationship while viewers are kept on the edge of their seats about who will break up and who will stay together.
Real-life couples therapy is not nearly as dramatic as the reality TV show, but Couples Therapy gets several things right. First, all couples have issues. Even the best relationships face hard times. Ups and downs, disagreements, and obstacles are all normal parts of being a couple. Second, it is ok to reach out for help. More and more, couples are reaching out for help as they work through those challenges, and skilled couples therapists are helping their relationship flourish.
When trust breaks down, it can be restored. It is not an easy process: rebuilding trust takes time and consistent effort. It may also require the assistance of a couples therapist. When partners are off track, they may want to get back on track, but often, they do not know how. By working with a couples counselor, many partners are getting back on track individually and within their relationship.
Every couple needs a little help along the way, and Thriveworks Counseling in Dallas, TX has provided that help for many people. Our Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists have worked with many couples who needed guidance for their strained relationships.
Relationship Problems: Solve Them with a Therapist
When couples are stressed and struggling and strained, each partner can feel isolated. They may feel alone in the difficulty and wonder, are we the only couple who is facing this issue?
It is understandable to ask this question, and the unequivocal answer is no, you are not the only couple to ever face this issue. It may feel that way because the details will always be unique. However, the underlying issue is likely something that other couples have faced as well. There are certain roadblocks that trip up many couples. These roadblocks are difficult, but they are common. And they have solutions. A few of these common roadblocks are…
- Differing Expectations – Partners often share different expectations and values. This means that, without clear communication and respect, they may be pulling toward different goals. When one partner is pulling the relationship in one direction and the other partner is pulling in the other direction, tension is inevitable. Couples can learn to respect each other in their differences and pull together, toward the same goals.
- Disagreements about Family – Conflict with the in-laws may be a cliché, but there is usually some truth behind the stereotype. Disagreements about extended family can pull a couple apart. Depending upon where the relationship is, the couple may also have difficulty agreeing upon other family issues such as living situation, children, parenting, and marriage.
- Communication Difficulties – Being open, empathetic, and vulnerable are valuable communication skills, but some partners have never learned how to communicate well. Other times, partners know how to communicate well, but they have taken their relationship for granted so they do not put the effort into good communication.
- Difficulty with Intimacy – Intimacy certainly involves a couple’s physical relationship, but it also includes so much more. Intimacy can be any kind of meaningful connection. It can be emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and more. Cultivating intimacy takes care and intentionality, and couples can all too easily have difficulty with intimacy.
- Distrust – Small things can erode trust, things like forgetting an important appointment. Big things can destroy trust, things like cheating and lying. Whether the rift is big or small, distrust is a big issue with many couples. Trust can be re-established, but it takes consistent behavior and time.
How Could Relationship Counseling Help?
Whether the challenge is distrust, disagreement, different expectations, or something else, many challenges are simply opportunities for growth. When partners have a skilled marriage therapist, they can often navigate these challenges and move forward with their relationship. How might marriage therapists help?
- By establishing a reasonable timeline for change. Some adjustments need to be made sooner rather than later. Other changes take time. How can couples know the difference? An experienced couples therapist can guide partners on which changes to make and when.
- By de-escalating the conflict. When couples are in the middle of tension, they can all too often attack each other instead of the problem. Personal attacks escalate the tension and make it harder to solve the issue at hand. Couples therapists have many exercises that allow the couple to de-escalate the tension and work together as they solve the problem.
Making an Appointment for Couples Counseling at Thriveworks in Dallas
If you and your significant other are experiencing tension, consider reaching out for help. Thriveworks Counseling in Dallas is ready to help. We have appointments available for couples therapy. When you contact our office, know that many new clients have their first appointment within 24 hours. We offer weekend and evening sessions, but we do not put our clients on a waitlist. Instead, when you call, a scheduling specialist will answer and help you make an appointment. We also accept many forms of insurance.
Let’s work together on your relationship. Call Thriveworks Counseling in Dallas today for couples therapy, marriage counseling, premarital counseling, or another form of relationship counseling.
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