Relationships can be beautiful, fun, and rewarding. But relationships are also hard work. Sometimes, even the perfect couple can go through a rough patch and, when that happens, it’s important to work on the problem, and not leave things unspoken. Couples therapy has always been an excellent solution for couples who are facing relationship difficulties, but after COVID-19, even more couples have chosen it. Spending more time with spouses at home can be a blessing, but the pandemic has also caused a lot of uncertainty and anxiety, which may harm interpersonal relationships.
What are the benefits of couples’ therapy?
Seeing a therapist for the first time as a couple can be a tough decision – especially if you’ve been arguing for months or ignoring each other. But the sooner you seek therapy, the better because a professional can help you with the following:
- Increase your intimacy levels (both physical and emotional)
- Support each other in managing stress and sharing parental responsibilities
- Solve disputes in a constructive, non-aggressive way
- Overcome events that may affect the relationship: loss, retirement, one of the partners losing their job, the birth of a child, etc.
- Identify the factors that are causing conflicts in the relationship
- Break the toxic patterns that are causing emotional pain
What to expect
There are many misconceptions about couple’s therapy: that it’s cold, impersonal, awkward, or that the therapist will tell you what to do. None of those is true. Instead, here’s what you can expect from this experience:
- The therapist is just a mediator. They will not force you to do anything, and they don’t control what you choose to do outside the sessions. They will only provide guidance and offer you a safe space where you BOTH can express yourselves.
- Couples therapy may involve “homework” outside the session. The ultimate goal isn’t to depend on therapy, but to be able to solve your differences independently. Therefore, some of the exercises may include logging your feelings, getting intimate, or going on a date.
- Together with the therapist, you will decide on a goal and a timeline. Here, every relationship is different. Some couples can work through their issues in just a few sessions, others need more time. You shouldn’t compare your experience of couples’ therapy with the experiences of friends or people on the Internet.
Why couples telephone psychotherapy?
For many years, face-to-face therapy, held in the counsellor’s office, has been the go-to way of solving relationship issues. After COVID-19, the idea of going to therapy as a couple might seem impossible, but it can be done. In fact, it can feel more comfortable and personal. If you don’t feel at ease discussing your problems in an office, and you’d rather explore your feelings in a familiar space, couples telephone psychotherapy can be very effective. Plus, it can be a fantastic option for long-distance relationships. If you live in different cities, and you can’t synchronise your schedules to make it to the therapist’s office, you can schedule a remote appointment instead.
