As a couples therapist, I often have a front-row seat to relationship miracles. Well, okay, there are no miracles really. The fact is “fixing” a relationship takes work. It takes two people wanting it to work and then putting in the effort. Having said that, I have seen couples go from nearly ending it to being back in love, and liking and respecting each other.
Couples counseling can be a powerful change agent, there is no doubt about it. But what allows some couples to make it while others don’t? The couples I have seen recover from marital issues and form an even stronger union have all had certain things in common. Here are some ways you and your partner can get the most out of couples counseling and set yourselves up for success.
Ways You Can Get The Most Out of Couples Counseling
Commit
Many couples view counseling as a last-ditch effort, which makes it all the more important to go all in and commit to the process entirely. And even if therapy is your first attempt to salvage the relationship, it’s important that both parties give it their best effort.
This means even if nothing else has worked, and even if you’re both at each other’s throats most of the time, you leave any Bottom of Form defensiveness, criticism, contempt, or stonewalling at the door. These will only impede any progress that may be made.
Be Openly Minded
It’s common to be skeptical of therapy if you have no experience with it. It’s also common to feel skeptical that your particular problems or issues are too big to be overcome. While there are no guarantees in life, my professional experience has shown me that most relationship issues are solvable. But if you believe that they aren’t, you’re setting yourself up for failure right at the outset. Real change requires an open mind.
Do Your Homework!
You don’t spend money and time on college to NOT do any of your homework. The same goes for couples therapy! During your sessions, your couples therapist will help facilitate respectful and effective communication and give you tools to get the same results at home. But it is up to YOU to use these tools at home.
Your relationship will not be “fixed” every Tuesday from 4:15 to 5:00 pm, it will be fixed from the work you both do on your own time. The point of therapy is to learn how to navigate communication obstacles and conflicts as they arise in everyday life outside of the couples therapist’s office.
Couples counseling is a wonderful resource that helps many couples overcome challenges. Are you and your partner willing to commit to the process, have an open mind, and do the homework? If so you and your partner have an excellent chance of creating a healthy and respectful relationship.
If you are looking for a couple’s therapist, I’d be happy to speak with you. Let’s talk and see if I might be a good fit for both of you.
Ready to Start Couples Counseling in Boca Raton, FL?
If you and your partner are struggling to overcome conflicts in your relationship, don’t wait to take action. As a couples therapist in Florida and Michigan, I understand how important your relationship is. I provide a supportive space for you and your partner to open up and resolve your conflicts. To get started follow these three simple steps:
- Reach Out for a Free Consultation
- Learn More About Me and My Services
- Start healing your relationship
Other Therapy Services Offered by Judith Thurswell, PsyD, LP
As a couples therapist in Boca Raton, FL and Bloomfield Hills, MI, I understand that you and your partner may have more than the relationship struggles you’re dealing with. I offer various services online and in-person that can help address the challenges you’re facing in your life. These services include Divorce Counseling/Blended Families and Coparenting Counseling, Anxiety Therapy, and Depression Treatment. No matter what challenges you and your partner face, I am here to help you achieve your goals, overcome these struggles, and live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
As a couples therapist, I often have a front-row seat to relationship miracles. Well, okay, there are no miracles really. The fact is “fixing” a relationship takes work. It takes two people wanting it to work and then putting in the effort. Having said that, I have seen couples go from nearly ending it to being back in love, and liking and respecting each other.
Couples counseling can be a powerful change agent, there is no doubt about it. But what allows some couples to make it while others don’t? The couples I have seen recover from marital issues and form an even stronger union have all had certain things in common. Here are some ways you and your partner can get the most out of couples counseling and set yourselves up for success.
Ways You Can Get The Most Out of Couples Counseling
Commit
Many couples view counseling as a last-ditch effort, which makes it all the more important to go all in and commit to the process entirely. And even if therapy is your first attempt to salvage the relationship, it’s important that both parties give it their best effort.
This means even if nothing else has worked, and even if you’re both at each other’s throats most of the time, you leave any Bottom of Form defensiveness, criticism, contempt, or stonewalling at the door. These will only impede any progress that may be made.
Be Openly Minded
It’s common to be skeptical of therapy if you have no experience with it. It’s also common to feel skeptical that your particular problems or issues are too big to be overcome. While there are no guarantees in life, my professional experience has shown me that most relationship issues are solvable. But if you believe that they aren’t, you’re setting yourself up for failure right at the outset. Real change requires an open mind.
Do Your Homework!
You don’t spend money and time on college to NOT do any of your homework. The same goes for couples therapy! During your sessions, your couples therapist will help facilitate respectful and effective communication and give you tools to get the same results at home. But it is up to YOU to use these tools at home.
Your relationship will not be “fixed” every Tuesday from 4:15 to 5:00 pm, it will be fixed from the work you both do on your own time. The point of therapy is to learn how to navigate communication obstacles and conflicts as they arise in everyday life outside of the couples therapist’s office.
Couples counseling is a wonderful resource that helps many couples overcome challenges. Are you and your partner willing to commit to the process, have an open mind, and do the homework? If so you and your partner have an excellent chance of creating a healthy and respectful relationship.
If you are looking for a couple’s therapist, I’d be happy to speak with you. Let’s talk and see if I might be a good fit for both of you.
Ready to Start Couples Counseling in Boca Raton, FL?
If you and your partner are struggling to overcome conflicts in your relationship, don’t wait to take action. As a couples therapist in Florida and Michigan, I understand how important your relationship is. I provide a supportive space for you and your partner to open up and resolve your conflicts. To get started follow these three simple steps:
- Reach Out for a Free Consultation
- Learn More About Me and My Services
- Start healing your relationship
Other Therapy Services Offered by Judith Thurswell, PsyD, LP
As a couples therapist in Boca Raton, FL and Bloomfield Hills, MI, I understand that you and your partner may have more than the relationship struggles you’re dealing with. I offer various services online and in-person that can help address the challenges you’re facing in your life. These services include Divorce Counseling/Blended Families and Coparenting Counseling, Anxiety Therapy, and Depression Treatment. No matter what challenges you and your partner face, I am here to help you achieve your goals, overcome these struggles, and live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Areas I Serve:
Michigan & Florida
Virtual Office Hours
Monday - Friday
10:00AM - 6:00PM
