Couples Therapy
Have You Been Growing Apart From Your Romantic Partner?
Has there been a shift in your dynamic with your significant other? Have you noticed signs of tension or disconnect building within your relationship, such as:
- Increased conflict or fighting?
- Emotional distance or withdrawal?
- Lack of trust, affection, or intimacy?
Maybe you’re a relatively new couple, or maybe you’ve been married for decades by now. Perhaps both of you feel as though the connection you had has faded or even ended, and you are left feeling ignored, lonely, or unappreciated. You may be considering whether a couples or marriage counselor can help you navigate your issues together.
Couples Can Grow Together Or Apart As A Relationship Progresses
Change is one of those constants in life, and these changes impact both individuals and couples in different ways. As individuals, we are always in flux: we continue to evolve and grow as we experience and learn about the world around us. In the context of a relationship, we are changing as our partner is changing, and it’s not always in the same direction.
You and your partner may have fallen out of sync in your respective schedules or lifestyles, leaving little time or opportunity to strengthen or repair your bond. You may find that you’re unable to spend time together without arguing or getting on each other’s nerves.
At the root of many issues between couples, however, is communication. Therapy can help couples feel mutually seen, heard, and understood—and more able to engage in healthy and productive communication together. Couples counseling with Real Talk CT can help you reconnect, deepen your affection, and build the relationship you both envision.
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All Couples Face Challenges At Some Point In Their Relationships
Because so many of us were raised on fairy tales and notions of “happily ever after,” we often overlook that successful relationships require a coordinated effort by both individuals. And problems with communication often cause or contribute to relationship issues.
For example, according to a study by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), communication issues account for around two-thirds of all divorces (1).
And yet, so many of these relationships might have been repaired or saved if couples had simply been able to communicate their needs and listen to the needs of their partner. What’s more, had they sought professional support, they might’ve fixed their relationship challenges long before divorce ever crossed their minds.
Successful Relationships Require Care And Effort By Both Partners
Many aspects of modern life contribute to a lack of presence and affection in our relationships. Smartphones, social media, and other forms of technology constantly distract and disconnect us from our immediate surroundings. Additionally, the pandemic put a lot of stress of many relationships by disrupting lifestyles and social dynamics.
You can overcome these obstacles to greater connection, though, and couples counseling can offer guidance and assistance.
At Real Talk CT, we can help you rediscover the reasons you fell in love in the first place and build the skills that will allow you to move forward together with greater love, mindfulness, and appreciation for each other.
Couples Counseling Can Help You Grow And Thrive Together
When you and your partner have fallen into negative patterns within your relationship, it’s easy to feel hopeless about a better future together. But just as you fell into negative patterns, the right form of support can help you build positive patterns of support, understanding, and affection.
In couples therapy, you and your partner get to determine the goals of your marriage or relationship, as well as the way forward. Your couples therapist, meanwhile, will help you understand and articulate your priorities and effectively communicate in order to work through your issues and reach new levels of understanding.
You will first connect with your counselor so you can tell them more about your relationship, the issues you are facing, and your shared goals for therapy. We will make sure to look ahead to where you want to be, as opposed to merely where you are now—and we will all work together to build a plan for therapy that considers and addresses both of your needs.
A Unique Approach To Couples Counseling
Your couples counselor will apply an eclectic approach to therapy, incorporating multiple modalities depending on your situation, such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) –a more traditional therapeutic approach like CBT can help couples identify and reframe negative views, thoughts, and behavioral patterns within relationships.
- Mindfulness – increased mindfulness helps couples build greater self-awareness, allowing them to be less reactive in their relationships and more responsive to their partner.
- Communication Skills – improved communication skills can help couples better listen to and understand each other so that they can work through issues together instead of resorting to defensive behaviors.
Addressing burnout, anxiety, depression, or addiction are also common aspects of couples therapy. Oftentimes, couples need to work through their individual issues in order to come back together, and therapy can help you both individually and as a unit.
When it comes to couples counseling, you have very little to lose. If both of you are willing to put in the work, you have a good chance of improving your relationship.
You May Still Have Some Questions About Couples Therapy…
We’ve tried therapy before but it didn’t work.
It’s understandable that a previous negative experience with therapy can make it difficult to recommit and go through the whole process again. But perhaps this is just an indicator that you haven’t found a therapist you’ve connected with. Our approach to therapy is comprehensive and our therapists incorporate many different approaches into their couples work, ensuring that our clients get the support and guidance they’re looking for.
I’m concerned with how long therapy will take.
Our own experience is that couples who engage in therapy and actually put in the work start to see improvements within only three to five sessions, although long-term changes in certain areas can require more time and work. This of course has a lot to do with various factors, but many who attend couples therapy end up surprised by how quickly positive changes can actually happen.
Our relationship is ending—how will couples therapy help?
While we always like to remain optimistic in couples counseling, there are instances where things just seem not to work out. And when children are involved, this can make things even more complicated. Even in these cases, however, since you will continue to be involved in each other’s lives, learning to let go of the hurt and move into a more cordial relationship can reduce many future stressors for all involved. If things don’t work out in the end, you will both have learned relationship skills that you can carry forward—which is why we also offer therapy for divorced or separated couples.
You Can Reconnect And Rewrite Your Love Story
If you are looking to move in a better, healthier direction with your romantic partner, couples therapy with Real Talk CT can help you build the best versions of yourselves and your relationship.
Call us at 959-210-6800 or use our contact page to schedule a complimentary, 15-minute consultation to restart your journey together.
(1) https://mediate.com/what-makes-someone-ask-for-a-divorce/