8 Signs You Need Couples Counseling and Why It Can Actually Help

What is couples therapy? And how does it work?

Marriage counseling, couples therapy, or whatever you prefer to call it, is a type of psychotherapy in which partners in a romantic relationship seek help from a licensed therapist. It can help resolve conflict and improve their relationship satisfaction, using therapeutic methods as couples counseling exercises and more. Practicing couples therapy vary but it usually involves the following elements.

- A focus on a specific problem.

- Active participation from the therapist in treating the relationship itself, rather than each individual separately.

- Solution-focused, change-oriented interventions early on in treatment.

- A clear establishment of treatment objectives.

8 Signs you need to go for couples counseling:

1. Poor communication with your partner

Communication is the foundation of any relationship, that's why when you lose it, you stop listening or being listened to and you and your partner begin feeling alone and start the whole 'silent treatment' thing, that's when everything starts falling out of place.

2. Having the same fight over and over again is a sign you need couples counseling 

Whether this fight is about finances, trust issues, or having a baby, if you keep having the same fight over and over again, it's a clear sign you need to go in for couples counseling and deal with your problem in a healthy way. 

3. Feeling distant from your partner

Emotional distance is a common phenomenon in relationships. It typically develops slowly, making it hard to notice until you've suddenly drifted so far apart. Growing apart could be a sign you may need to go in for couples counseling. There are numerous reasons why emotional drifting occurs, some might have to do with your partner and some with you, but what's really important when this happens is to seek couples therapy in time.

4. When you and/or your partner is dealing with mental illness

If you're already suffering from anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness, bringing your partner into therapy with you, would be the best idea to solve your problems. As your partner becomes more aware of what you're going through, you reach better understanding and communication.

5. The presence of past traumas that show up in your relationship

If you or your partner have been exposed to poor examples of relationships or intimacy, and it starts projecting insecurities on your present relationship, then couples counseling can actually help. 

6. Considering a divorce or wondering if you should break up

You feel like your relationship is hitting rock bottom and you're not really sure if breaking up or getting a divorce is the right answer, you're wondering whether to give up or keep trying. This might be the most common sign or reason that you should go in for couples counseling. 

7. Managing the transition from couples to parents

Nothing changes the relationship between two partners more than having a baby and being parents. Sharing the love and attention, being sleep deprived, the number of responsibilities that suddenly piles up and the list goes on, so going in for couples counseling can actually help; talk things out with someone professional will defiantly make the transition much smoother.

8. When dealing with infidelity

Cheating is definitely a sign you should go for couples counseling. After trust is broken, relationships are deeply harmed or even destroyed. Learning to trust again is a slow and hard process Counseling can educate and assist couples with understanding the process of regaining trust, and provide tools and direction to help.

Main Image Credits: Movie - Marriage Story