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?
Sam and Lily adored each other, and they were committed to staying in their five-year-old marriage no matter what, but they also fought. A lot. Sam had grown up with a verbally abusive mother and he was extremely sensitive to changes in Lily’s tone of voice. Sometimes he’d get upset at Lily when she was too busy to respond to Sam’s bids for attention. He’d feel dismissed and rejected when Lily told him impatiently to just wait a minute, even though Lily didn’t mean anything by it. Her mind was just absorbed elsewhere. And when Sam felt dismissed, he got irritable, which made Lily defensive, which caused them to argue. They couldn’t seem to change this entrenched pattern no matter how hard they tried. They made the mutual decision that it was time to see a couples counselor.
Couples and marriage counselors at Thriveworks in Modesto, CA are on a different level than your friends who might have read The Five Love Languages and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus and like to give you unsolicited relationship advice over dinner (bless their hearts). In contrast, professional relationship therapists are highly trained to help identify hidden dynamics in couples and help improve overall communication. If you and your partner are interested in working with this kind of professional, consider reaching out to Thriveworks in Modesto, CA – we can help you schedule your first couples therapy or marriage counseling session.
Signs That Your Marriage Could Benefit from Professional Support
Being a human is hard. But being a human within a couple or a marriage is arguably harder. Then you have not one, but two complicated psyches to deal with, and they don’t always harmonize. Here are some signs that your marriage or intimate relationship could benefit from professional support from a counselor at Thriveworks in Modesto, CA:
- You seem to repeat the same argument over and over again without making any emotional progress.
- Communication between you and your spouse has broken down to the point where you’ve not having meaningful conversations at all. (And “Take out the trash” does not count as meaningful.)
- When you and your spouse do communicate, it always seems to be negative
- Your sex life has changed beyond the normal fluctuations.
- Someone is keeping a secret, or you’re both keeping secrets.
- You’re considering infidelity or someone is being unfaithful.
- One or both of you feel(s) indifferent.
- Someone is lying about money or spending habits.
Just because you notice signs that your relationship could use some special attention, doesn’t mean that it’s broken. This is the best time for relationship counselors and marriage therapists to swoop in and help figure out what’s going on. Couples therapists at Thriveworks in Modesto, CA are trained to see and understand the perspectives of both parties. The point of therapy isn’t to determine who’s “right” and who’s “wrong.” An exceptional therapist can help deepen everyone’s understanding of each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities – and enhance intimate bonds along the way.
How Can Couples Therapy Improve My Marriage?
A marriage counselor at Thriveworks in Modesto, CA will want to know about your and your partner’s goals for your therapy sessions. There is no correct or incorrect response to what you hope for your appointments to accomplish. Common objectives include:
- I want to learn how to compromise.
- I want to get our “spark” back.
- I want to feel appreciated.
- I want to learn to control my anger.
- I want to stop fighting.
- I don’t want our kids to model our unhealthy relationship patterns.
- I want to get to the root of our problems.
- I want to have more/better sex.
- I want to spend more quality time together.
- I want us to communicate better.
- I want to know if we should get a divorce.
- I want to heal after my spouse’s affair.
- I don’t want to feel neglected anymore.
- I want new strategies for solving problems.
- I want my partner to face their substance abuse issues.
- I want to get through this particularly challenging time.
A couples therapist recognizes that it takes great strength to book an appointment with a specialist. It’s brave to ask for help. These therapists are here to listen to your goals and help you understand each other using expert techniques. A marriage counselor isn’t there to take one partner’s side or another. They’re trained to see the perspective of each partner and help read between the lines of what’s not being expressed. Every couple has blind spots, and an exceptional therapist at Thriveworks may have the insight to identify underlying conflicts and beliefs.
Find the Best Licensed Couples Counselor in Modesto, CA
You don’t have to go far to find the best licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) in Modesto, CA. The Thriveworks office opens early and stays open late so you can book your first appointment with a top-rated, highly trained counselor today. You could have your first session—either in-person or online—as early as tomorrow. (Our client benefits include sessions in as few as 24-48 hours.) We don’t rely on automated systems or online intake forms to make provider appointments at Thriveworks. Real humans are waiting to take your call and help you with the scheduling process. Book your first session with an exceptional marriage counselor today. We look forward to hearing from you!
