Marriage Counseling | Couples Therapy
We love working with couples and poly relationships. Couples counseling, relationship counseling, marriage counseling, and couples therapy are very interchangeable. But the gist is that we work with people who are in relationships that could use a little help to discover what’s healthy.
Couples get counseling for all kinds of reasons
There are numerous reasons couples come in for couples counseling. These can be related to a partner having an affair, partners engaging in 'negative' conflict, lacking good communication, struggling with sex-related issues, wanting premarital counseling, lacking intimacy, or feeling disconnected.
The reality is that the list isn't even exhaustive. And you know what? Some people don't even know why they're there, they just know that things aren't the way they used to be and that they're not happy with the current state of affairs.
Any reason you want to come in is okay.
Seriously. If you're not sure of why, if you're not sure if it's worth it, if you're on the fence, if you're feeling on the verge of having an affair, if you're unhappy but haven't told your partner how unhappy you are, or any other reason, it's all okay. We can work through and with all of those things (plus more).
What can I expect?
Well, you can expect some of what's highlighted above - talking to your partner, using specific techniques and learning and practicing antidotes to the four horsemen (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, & stonewalling).
Your therapist will work with you and your partner(s) to overcome the communication breakdowns you may have. You can learn to trust, communicate, and enjoy life as a team again!
How do I decide if I need couples counseling or individual counseling?
The long and short of it is this: it's our belief that if you're dealing with a relationship issue, then couples counseling is right for you. Regardless of whether you think it's "your issue" to fix, if it's showing up between you and a partner, then it's relevant for couples counseling.
And if there's something that requires/need individual counseling? Then we'd usually recommend that you do both at the same time. Research indicates that doing individual counseling along with couples counseling usually is more effective than simply doing individual counseling.