Considering Couples Therapy? 5 Signs That May Indicate It Could Be Appropriate

It might be difficult to decide whether or not couples therapy might be the right decision for you and your partner. There can be stigma out there surrounding the types of relationships that pursue couples therapy. The reality is that every relationship is different and with that comes different reasons to seek out couples therapy. Some couples come in to see how they can strengthen an already strong relationship or another might need extra support in a new life transition. Relationships don’t necessarily need to be in a crisis in order to start couples therapy, and going before a crisis occurs would be ideal. This blog today will talk about some considerations to see if you and your partner could benefit from couples counseling. This list is not exhaustive and if you are considering couples therapy feel free to reach out to us at Inward Counseling for more information and to see if we can help.

1.)  It has become increasingly more difficult to feel understood and miscommunications have lead to hurt:

You both might have good intentions at heart but the way in which thoughts, feelings, or noticed behaviors have been communicated continue to hurt. The hurt caused may then in turn cause you or your partner to withdraw from trying to repair the conflict. If you feel this way, couples therapy could be a great way to work on how you both communicate with one another. Your couples therapist can work with both of you and meet you where you are at together to reach communication goals as a couple. A couples therapist can also be a safe environment to process and work through past hurts/ruptures in your relationship.  

2.)  You are both experiencing a new transition in your relationship:

Maybe you are about to get married? Or you are about to be empty nesters after raising your children for years. Whatever the transition is, couples therapy can help consider ways in which you and your partner can navigate different waters of your relationship. Couples therapy can help you both to prepare for your new stage in your relationship.  

3.)  Decrease in Desired Intimacy:

Your couples therapist can help both you and your partner in discovering what could be contributing to decreases in intimacy levels. Intimacy encompasses physical closeness and emotional closeness. When there is a lack of emotional intimacy that could possibly lead to reduced physical intimacy. Or the decrease in intimacy may be due to outside factors that impact an individual in the relationship. Either way, both you and your partner deserve to feel comfortable in your intimate relationship. Your couples therapist can help you both work through this without judgment.

4.)  Extended family pressures harming the relationship:

Starting a marriage is great and with it can come some struggles. One struggle that could happen is extended family overstepping or providing unhelpful unsolicited advice on the marriage. You and your partner might be struggling in knowing how to gently set necessary boundaries with family for your relationship. You might disagree with your partner in how to handle outside family member matters. Couples therapy might be beneficial in getting on similar pages on how to navigate extended family issues.

5.)  Lack of communication in general:

Maybe you and your partner have decreased in how often you communicate and feel more distant. The distance is creating disengagement and loneliness for you and your partner. Dedicating time to couples therapy could be beneficial in working towards increasing check-ins and decrease feelings of stagnation in the relationship. Couples therapy could help both partners build on their positive experiences together and create new life dreams.