It's perfectly normal for couples with problems to feel trapped in their relationships. However, the situation is made worse by the existence of myths that wrongly paint the success rates of couples therapy and counseling. The major problem affecting couples in dysfunctional relationships is they wait until it's too late to seek professional help and guidance.
This reduces couples therapy into a dispute resolution session rather than a constructive process aimed at reuniting and fostering a healthy relationship between the couples.
The best perspective couples should have when seeking counseling is to look at their relationship as the client and not their individual personalities. That's because many couples, particularly the men, view couples therapy as a platform where their relationship weaknesses are exposed and therefore don't want to participate. For that reason, the partner initiating the counseling process needs to be sincere and non-judgmental in his or her approach and this can potentially affect the other spouse in a positive way.
These Therapists Do Online Couples Therapy
Online therapy gives the couples an alternative approach where they can get the same, or even better, assistance from qualified professionals from the privacy of their homes. This type of therapy has been found to be very effective. Discussed below are 5 reasons couples therapy works:
Changes the Couple's View of Their Relationship
Online therapists help couples see their relationship from a more objective angle. Instead of sustaining the blame game, common in troubled relationships, the therapist takes the couple through a process where they begin to see each other in more adaptive ways. Online therapy is supported by data collected from couples as they interact with the therapist. The benefit to having a therapist is they use different strategies, depending on the nature of the problem, for which the couples are seeking counseling.
Modifies the Couples Dysfunctional Behavior
The way in which the couples behave towards each other determines how well they get along. Couples therapy focuses on this pattern of behavior because it forms the foundation of most relationship problems. In the beginning, a therapist will typically want to conduct an assessment to determine whether both partners or even one of them, suffers from any underlying dysfunctional behaviors. Where necessary, the affected partner may be recommended to a separate corrective program such as anger management or specialized drug treatment. This has been found to benefit couples a great deal!
Helps in Decreasing Emotional Avoidance
In troubled relationships, the partners normally avoid expressing their private feelings, which puts them at a much higher risk of becoming emotionally separated. Through couples therapy, the therapists help couples to let out the thoughts and emotions they fear expressing to one another. Some of the emotional issues expressed in relationships are rooted in childhood experiences such as abuse and rejection. Therapy makes it possible for the therapist to dig into a troubled past for the purpose of exposing issues and then resolving them.
Online Marriage Counseling: Great for Avoiding Divorce
Enhances Communication
One of the three C’s of relationship intimacy is communication. In fact, all effective couples therapies have their focus on improving communication between the warring partners. The professionals coach them on how to speak with one another in more understanding and supportive ways. Good communication also comes with active and empathic listening. Irrespective of any past arguments a couple may have had, improved communication between the partners often works will dilute previous fights and helps to build a better and stronger relationship.
Highlights Strengths and Builds Resilience in Relationships
Couples therapy is, at times, wrongly perceived as a process which only focuses on the problem areas and ignores the other areas in which the couples are doing well. Nothing can be further from the truth. Couples therapy also recognizes the areas in which couples are effective and this helps in promoting their self-esteem, which subsequently motivates the parties to continue doing the right things.
The Virtual Therapist Network is a great resource that has brought together a wide range of therapists who are trained and experienced in couples therapy. Visit the website to find an online therapist who can help with couples therapy.