5 Ways Relationship Therapy Can Benefit You and Your Partner
Relationships can be beautiful, and they can be difficult. For most of our lives, we build an understanding of how we view the world by what’s important to us. When two people join their realities together, they combine that amalgamation of worldviews and desires into one entity. Sometimes, most everything pairs up as nicely as we’d like.
Relationship therapy, or commonly known as couple’s therapy, helps couples come together and resolve issues in a more fulfilling, collaborative way. While it may seem intimidating to share details of your relationship with a therapist, they are there as a neutral guide. They can highlight patterns of behavior and provide objective observations that are fair and unbiased.
They can also encourage partners to see more than just the issues and help to restore intimacy and love. There are many therapists on BetterHelp that specialize in relationship therapy and are qualified to assist you and your partner.A quick word about the term ‘couples therapy.’ Relationship therapy isn’t just for couples. All of our relationships can benefit from therapy, including relationships with our friends, family members, and coworkers.
Here are 5 ways relationship therapy can help your relationship.
Build communication skills
Lack of communication is one of the most cited reasons for arguments amongst couples. How we express ourselves can be different depending on our circumstances and upbringings. Perhaps to our partner, it makes perfect sense. So they can’t imagine why it wouldn’t for us. Relationship therapy can help couples by establishing a level playing field for both parties to express themselves.
For example, a couple has issues with responsibilities around the house. Person A reacts and says they hate cleaning up after Person B’s mess. While the emotional meaning may be obvious, the true meaning may be more subtle. With more conversation, the couple may realize that Person A feels unappreciated and feels she has to do more to be appreciated.
Therapy allows each party to understand how we express our affection and frustrations.
By delving deeper into what we’re upset out, couples can learn how they communicate instead of guessing why the other is upset. This also serves as a beacon for couples to understand each other’s expectations of one another.
Resolve Conflict
When communication is lost, conflict can turn a healthy relationship sour. Feelings are hurt, and we feel we can’t express ourselves. Instead of resolving the issue, we may stay quiet to avoid confrontation. This may fester within us and grow to a point of bursting.
Therapy gives couples a chance to hear each other’s side healthily. With the presence of a therapist, there is a little more pressure to keep things controlled and civil. Therapists can encourage both sides by asking questions about how the other person feels after hearing their partner’s side.
Sometimes, arguments are the result of a simple misunderstanding that was never addressed. By learning how to resolve conflict, couples can prevent misunderstandings from escalating in the future.
Reignite Intimacy and Connection
Relationships, in general, have a ‘honeymoon stage. This is when both parties feel that spark and excitement of a new relationship. Both parties put in equal amounts of effort and go on date nights and adventures together. For some, however, this stage may fizzle after some time. Date nights aren’t as common, less effort may come from a partner, or maybe there’s less sex. That’s just how relationships go, right? Not necessarily so!
Relationship therapy can encourage couples to be more proactive about their relationship. Therapy is a space to understand and open channels of communication. By talking candidly about desires and wants, couples feel more secure that they’re being heard
Therapists can also ask couples what they admire or respect in their partner. This can lead to a deeper appreciation for your partner.
Create a Stronger Bond
The goal of relationship therapy is for partners to listen to each other and resolve their problems together. Therapists engage with patients to view problems not as extensions of their partners, but as opportunities to work together against the problem.
Relationships are partnerships, and couples can be each other’s best support system. Building resilience and cooperation together strengthens a couple’s bond. Not only will they learn how to face problems as a team, but they will also build new strategies to confront future problems together.
Self-Awareness / Personal Development
Expressing yourself to your partner is bound to reveal new information about ourselves. Oftentimes, partners discover more about themselves than about their partner. This can be a beautiful moment to experience when you have your partner there to champion you and hold you accountable.
This self-awareness can also bleed into other types of relationships, such as friendships and family bonds. The skills partners learn in couples’ therapy may open their eyes to other strained relationships that need mending. They’re not exclusive to romantic relationships. Friendships and family ties can also benefit from your self-development.
Final Thoughts
If you feel you and your partner can benefit from relationship therapy, reach out to a licensed therapist. A relationship doesn’t have to be at risk to attend and can be a healthy way to engage with your partner before problems turn into larger ones.
We hope you enjoyed this post in collaboration with BetterHelp.
———————————————————————————————————–
Sources
BetterHelp. “What Is The Best Type Of Relationship Therapy?” Edited by Wendy DBH, LPC Boring-Bray, Betterhelp, BetterHelp, 25 Mar. 2019, www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/what-is-the-best-type-of-relationship-therapy/.
Harley Therapy London, director. How Can Therapy Help with Relationship Problems? YouTube, YouTube, 13 May 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgKoUiSWPoU.
Lee, Janet. “Four Benefits of Couples Counseling.” Well Clinic San Francisco, 5 Jan. 2021, www.wellsanfrancisco.com/four-benefits-of-couples-counseling/.
School of Life Channel, director. What We Might Learn in Couples Therapy. YouTube, YouTube, 16 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_cnk7Bm8k.
———————————————————————————————————–
Author Bio
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
