Couples psychotherapy
Couples therapy is to support a relationship that may be struggling due to financial pressures, communication difficulties, difficulty in sharing power or decision-making, housing, budgeting, cultural differences, expectations of the relationship or how to bring up children to name a few. On-going conflict can have a significant impact on the mental and physical health and well-being of the individuals and children concerned.
Couples psychotherapy needs the consent of both partners to want to access therapy to benefit their relationship, otherwise this can lead to feelings of disloyalty, that can add further pressure on a relationship that is already under strain.
The therapist is there to enable open communication between the couple, so will facilitate the verbal or what is not said through the body language, but will not side with either partner.
The therapist will be trained to maintain a balance when there is anger and distress and help mediate talking about the difficult issues in the relationship. There may be a need to consider family therapy if there are children involved.
The therapist will help the couple to explore the assumptions in the relationship including:
- The concept of the individual in an interpersonal relationship.
- Inner empathy and understanding the other’s needs
- The way communication occurs. Eg the verbal and non-verbal content; listening and not listening; whether blocking of full communication is about other relationships ie familial ways of behaving.
- Social and cultural rules and expectations of appropriate behaviour.
- Two-people thinking, differences in personalities and perspectives of the same event.
- Sex and intimacy in the relationship.
This therapy is suitable for all couples: gay, straight and non-sexual.