Do you have questions about marriage counselling and couples therapy? Read on to find out the answers to many commonly asked questions about this type of therapy.
DOES MARRIAGE COUNSELLING WORK?
There are several well-researched modalities used in couples therapy which have been demonstrated to be effective. For example, Emotionally Focused Therapy has been shown to improve marital satisfaction, reduce stress experienced by the members of the couple, and improve interactions between them.
Another approach to couples therapy, the Gottman Method, is very well-researched with multiple studies completed on the effectiveness of its components.
CAN I GO TO MARRIAGE THERAPY BY MYSELF?
Unfortunately you cannot go to couples or marriage counselling alone. Because a couples therapist views the client as the couple (not the two individuals), both members of the couple need to engage in the therapy process. A couples therapist needs to hear both people’s perspectives and will want to know more about the relationship issues and dynamics arising between the members of the couple.
However, individual therapy can still be helpful in helping to improve your communication skills, gain an understanding of your own attachment style and how this plays out in your relationships, and work on boundaries within relationships. Working on these aspects of your own mental health and understanding can help to improve how you function within your relationship, even if you are just seeking therapy on your own.
CAN A RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST SAVE A MARRIAGE?
On average, unhappy couples take about 6 years to come to therapy. If you’ve waited for a long time before coming to therapy, there may be a lot of hurt to work through from the years in which the problems were occurring.
For a healthy relationship to continue and thrive, both partners need to be motivated and committed to the process of rebuilding trust and personal growth within the relationship. A couples therapist can work collaboratively with you and your partner to help facilitate this process, but it is ultimately the two individuals themselves who decide what they wish to do with their relationship.
DO WE NEED MARRIAGE AND COUPLES COUNSELLING?
There are many reasons couples seek couples therapy. If you are having issues arise in your relationship, couples counselling is a good avenue to explore these issues, work to improve them, and resolve conflicts. Often couples find themselves stuck in distressing cycles of behaviour that repeat over and over. A couples therapist can help you identify these patterns as well as the underlying driving forces and provide tools and strategies to help you disrupt these patterns together, to shift into more connecting and less distressing ways of interacting with each other.
If you are wondering if you need couples relationship therapy, set up a free of charge consultationwith a couples therapist, where you can explore how couples therapy might be beneficial for your relationship.
DOES INSURANCE COVER MARRIAGE COUNSELLING?
Most insurance providers provide coverage for therapy that is provided by a Registered Social Worker. You can check with your insurance provider to find out how much is covered by your specific insurance plan.
DOES MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING WORK AFTER SEPARATION?
Marriage and relationship counselling can have a number of very different goals. Married couples and those in a relationship often come to therapy to include discussion on major life goals and transitions.
If you have separated and both parties wish to reconcile, couples therapy can be a great avenue to explore what that process will look like and address the concerns that lead to the separation in the first place.
If you’ve separated and wish to end your relationship, therapy can be a wonderful way to get on the same page in terms of navigating the dissolution of your relationship and establish boundaries and expectations for each other.
If you are going to be co-parenting, couples therapy can help you to work out a plan for how to work together as co-parents to best support your children.
CAN INDIVIDUAL THERAPY HARM A MARRIAGE?
If you are working with a therapist in individual therapy, your therapist will work with you to help you reach your specific and personally tailored goals.
If your goals include working to improve your functioning in relationships, then work that you do in your individual therapy sessions may actually help to improve your relationships.
If your goal is to end your relationship, then your therapist will support you through this process. What is most important is your own unique set of goals to further your happiness and well-being.
Your therapist can help you identify these goals and develop a plan for working towards them, including those that related to your experiences in relationships.
READY TO BOOK THERAPY?
We provide couples therapy and individual therapy at both our London and Toronto offices and online. You can book online or contact us for more information or to book an appointment.