Nearly half of all married couples have attended some form of counseling.
It’s more common than you may think—and couples counseling benefits can go a long way in preventing the full breakdown of a marriage.
Especially in the midst of a global pandemic, everyone is under additional stress. The added time at home with our families can sometimes lead to fighting with our partners.
During such an uncertain time, it’s especially important to take steps to maintain your mental health. One of these may be to seek the benefits of couples therapy.
There can be a stigma surrounding the idea of marriage counseling. Some people believe this is a sign that the relationship is flawed beyond repair or a sign of weakness.
On the contrary, stepping into marriage counseling is a sign of strength. It shows that you are ready and willing to fix the underlying issues in your relationship.
With the right therapist, you and your spouse can grow to better understand each other. In turn, other key areas of the relationship can improve.
For more information on six of the most important benefits of couples therapy, read on below.
#1. Gain a Sounding Board
Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to. This is especially important with issues between couples.
Simply having a neutral third party to listen to the problems can go a long way in feeling heard and understood. This does not always happen in the midst of a fight.
Plus, the therapist serves as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of. When you do come up with potential solutions to issues or other compromises, the therapist will help you understand if this path is a good move in preserving the relationship.
#2. Better Understand Relationship Dynamics
Another one of the most important couples therapy benefits is to gain a better understanding of the underlying relationship dynamics.
Every person brings something different to a relationship. Especially for those who base their view of the current dynamic on past relationships, it can be difficult to understand how each person truly fits into the relationship.
With couples therapy, both parties can better understand the underlying factors that affect relationship dynamics. This may include how each party communicates, any ongoing resentments, or mismatched motivations.
Regardless of how long a couple has been together—just about any couple can benefit from a deeper understanding of the unique dynamics in their relationship.
#3. See Other Perspectives
Additionally, attending couples therapy helps to shed light on other perspectives.
We tend to view our relationships through a single lens—and it can be difficult to take other viewpoints into account. This only exacerbates arguments. When couples disagree on an issue, it only grows worse when failing to take the other person’s perspective into account.
Therapists instead can recognize this and are helpful in shedding light on miscommunications. This way, both parties can get to the root of the issue and learn to see each other’s viewpoints in future disagreements.
#4. A Safe Space for All
One factor that cements the importance of couples therapy is to provide a safe space for couples. The therapist serves as a neutral third party, with no particular loyalties to either side.
This is contrary to turning to friends or family members who may tend to take a side with marital issues. Instead, a couples therapist will provide a protective space where both sides are welcome to let their feelings out.
Oftentimes, this becomes difficult within everyday life. One person may be afraid of hurting the other’s feelings or saying something to make matters worse. This is where the safe space can be a game-changer.
Plus, this space is outside of the home. This is key with relationships that have reached a point of drastic disrepair. By addressing issues within a therapist’s office, it presents a safe bubble for both parties to truly say what they feel.
This is an important step in healing the issues that may be plaguing your relationship.
#5. Learn Coping Mechanisms
Even the most stable relationships can be stressful at times. When traumatic events or particular stressors are involved, these issues can become even larger if not properly handled.
One of the biggest barriers in this pursuit is learning proper coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, this is not always something intuitive to most people.
This can also grow even more exacerbated when couples have different ways of dealing with stress. When these strategies conflict, issues can get even worse. Here’s another reason why couples therapy can be so beneficial.
Couples therapy helps to introduce healthy coping mechanisms that will benefit both parties. This way, new issues can be quickly handled before they grow larger and more damaging.
#6. Restore Lost Trust
This last benefit is especially key for couples who have undergone trust-breaking incidents. This is commonly seen with infidelity or other major lies that damage one of the most important foundations of a solid relationship: trust.
Seeking the services of a couples therapist ensures both parties can regain trust in a positive way. This will keep the relationship moving forward, even after an incident where trust was broken.
If future issues do arise, couples will then not resort to losing trust or blaming the other party with respect to prior behaviors. The relationship can truly grow and move forward—something very difficult to do without the help of a trained counselor.
Reap the Benefits of Couples Therapy for Yourself
With these key benefits of couples therapy in mind, it’s important to carefully weigh your options. Consider these main benefits, and evaluate your own relationship. Could you and your partner serve to benefit from these above-mentioned factors?
While the decision may not be easy, it’s an important first step in protecting your relationship.
For more information or to determine if couples counseling is for you, contact us today!
