All Couples Should Go! Benefits of Couple Therapy

Despite considerable progress in the acceptance of therapy, sometimes couples are still reluctant to seek therapy together.

Relationship counseling is not just for couples with extreme problems, conflicts or issues. There are times when even the healthiest and happiest of us need a little assistance to navigate through life. When we are one half of a couple in a committed relationship, sometimes there are ups and downs. Although it is completely expected and normal to experience these challenges and difficulties, at times they can seem particularly magnified. This is when Couples Therapy can help.

Couples Therapy is a form of psychotherapy or counseling designed to help partners recognize and resolve any form of conflict or challenges that may weigh on their relationship.

Some of the more common benefits of Couples Therapy include:

  • Improving communication skills between two people

  • Discovering the root causes of major points of conflicts

  • Creating better understanding

  • Encouraging better acceptance of one another

  • Providing the opportunity to increase shared support

  • Restoring emotional and physical intimacy

  • Decreasing emotional detachment or avoidance

  • Restoring emotional strength and building relationship resilience

  • Restoring lost trust between a couple

  • Providing a secure environment and opportunity to heal

Relationship counseling has the capacity to resolve new conflicts, as well as deep-rooted, long-standing ones.

Couples Therapy is considerably challenging for both the counselor and the couple as it is requires time and effort. However, the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy significantly eases the process for everyone involved.

Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Gottman devised and developed the Gottman Method, which utilizes a thorough, evidence-based process. Different from any other form of Couples Therapy, the Gottman Method is goal-oriented and highly structured, following a strict assessment process that allows the therapist to successfully identify and resolve the problem points within a relationship.

The practices of the Gottman Method ensure the removal of all hindrances and emotional barriers. It restores and builds respect and intimacy as well as creates a heightened understanding between the two partners, based on nine basic components of a healthy relationship.

These components include:

  • Building love maps

  • Sharing fondness and admiration

  • Turning towards each other

  • Having a positive perspective

  • Managing conflict

  • Making life dreams come true

  • Creating shared meaning

  • Trust

  • Commitment

Each individual component is essential for the establishment and maintenance of a healthy, loving relationship. This particular method of therapy is well suited to couples from all walks of life, as it does not recognize limitations. What’s more, when following the Gottman Method, no qualms are entertained when discussing marital or relationship problems. From cultural conflicts, to racial and economic concerns, to sexual orientation, nothing is too controversial that it cannot be discussed, and no problem so immense that it cannot be resolved.

Carmen Kinzy