Relationships are constantly evolving as we grow and change, and this is completely natural. But as we change parts of our relationships can fall by the wayside. You might feel lost facing challenges that come up or worry you’re no longer on the same page.
This is where couples counselling can help you get back on track. While counselling is a personal choice, couples counselling can have a range of benefits for any relationship.
For personalised advice, contact our team at Ros Yuen Psychology today.
What is Couples Counselling
Couples counselling is a psychological practice designed to help people navigate their relationships. It is generally conducted by a professional counsellor, therapist or psychologist. This professional oversees and guides the sessions.
The counsellor will generally work to get to know the couple and what they hope to get out of the sessions. They can then work with the pair to help them achieve these goals. This may involve teaching the couple better communication skills or exercises. They might create a space for emotional reflection or use different methods to build a couple’s understanding of each other.
Reasons People Seek Couples Counselling
You might be thinking that couples counselling is only for relationships in crisis. But that is not always the case. People seek couples counselling for a range of different reasons.
Perhaps you’re struggling to trust your partner or there is a building lack of communication. Disagreements that have expanded or continue to resurface may need the help of an impartial third party to help you negotiate. Likewise, intimate or sexual relationships can quickly become complicated if you’re not on the same page.
Many couples seek counselling to help revitalise their relationship or feel closer. Similarly, some couples want counselling to help them make big life decisions. This can be applied to any relationship regardless of the stage it’s in or the form it takes, whether you’re married, partnered, friends or family.
But there are more than just internal reasons to seek counselling. External factors such as financial burdens or family relations can put strain and stress on your relationship. Couples counselling can help you prepare and face these challenges as a team.
Benefits of Couples Counselling
Couples counselling can have a lot of substantial benefits for a couple. From building skills to intimacy, we’ll explore the different ways couples counselling can help.
Communication
Couples counselling often focuses on helping couples communicate. A counsellor can assess your current communication methods and suggest ways they can be improved or adjusted. By building their communication skills over time, couples can overcome a range of challenges and problems.
It’s a skill that is relied on every day. Being able to or willing to work on your communication is a great way to build and strengthen relationships.
Identifying Dysfunction
It can often be difficult for couples to see their relationship objectively. This can lead to some couples developing unhealthy or harmful behaviours. These behaviours can be detrimental to both the couple and the individual. With professional help, couples can build skills to help them identify dysfunctional behaviours. Likewise, they can help couples understand how to address them.
Dysfunctional behaviours can be a common occurrence. Learning these skills can help reduce the risk of their development. They can also improve a couple’s ability to navigate them and alleviate stress.
Acceptance and Vulnerability
Feeling accepted and being vulnerable with a partner is an important part of any relationship. Couples counselling can help couples navigate intense emotions in a safe place. This can help couples feel more emotionally intimate and open.
Likewise, it can help couples understand each other better. By building their understanding couples are strengthening their connection. This can help couples rebuild trust as well as ensure both members of the couple are emotionally satisfied.
Facing Future Challenges
Couples counselling can help couples navigate challenges that come up outside of or after counselling. By teaching the right skills and information a couple will have the tools they need to deal with problems in the future. It can give them a place or methods to fall back on so they can deal with challenges head-on without intervention.
These tools can help couples feel more confident and secure going forward.
Is Couples Counselling Worth It?
Ultimately, couples counselling can help you communicate and work to overcome a range of struggles. Regardless of the stage of your current relationship, a couple’s counsellor can help you face challenges together. This makes it an invaluable resource for people from all walks of life.
If you and your partner are dealing with a lot of pressure, facing challenges or navigating life decisions a couples counsellor could be just what you need. If you’re not sure where to start contact our team today. At Ros Yuen Psychology, we have dedicated professionals who are always ready to help.