Couples Therapy
Why consider couples therapy?
Relationships are an integral part of our daily lives and for many of us, the quality of our relationships impacts our overall wellbeing.
Relationships can be challenging and we may become stuck for several reasons. The way we relate to others is usually learned from our early caregivers. Those of us who may not have had healthy relationships modeled to us when younger may struggle with healthy relating during adulthood. Others may lack the skills needed for harmonious relationships. We may not know what we are feeling or needing and therefore unable to communicate this to others.
Individuals seek couples therapy for many reasons including communication issues, sexual difficulties, infidelity, anger, conflict, distance in the relationship or assistance in mediating the ending of a relationship.
Most of us seek therapy when our intimate relationships become stuck, but therapy may be beneficial for any type of relationship including those between family members and those with our friends and colleagues.
What's involved in couples therapy?
It’s natural for one or both partners to feel some anxiety or apprehension before the first appointment. My priority is to create a safe space where both people feel comfortable sharing their perspective on the relationship issues. I’ll be listening and looking for any factors that may be contributing to your relationship challenges.
After I’ve listened to both of your stories in the first session, I’ll also ask you about your hopes for therapy and for the relationship. At the end of that session I’ll provide some feedback regarding focus areas for treatment and a potential roadmap moving forward.
Couples therapy usually involves a focus on improving the attachment bond between partners. This may be achieved through in-session dialogue or training of specific skills for communication and conflict management.
What type of therapy do I use for couples?
I have had specialist training in couples therapy and use a variety of therapeutic styles including Gottman therapy, Imago therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as well as elements of Emotion Focused Therapy.