Therapists are often asked by couples how to best prepare for couples counseling.
It’s a typical question, but the answer will vary depending on the couple.
Good couples therapy offers a variety of skills for each individual to be the best version of themselves so that they can help the relationship be the best version of itself. Couples therapy will never ask you to abandon your beliefs or core values. In fact, good couples therapy will help you and your partner find common ground to help bring out the best of each other. Before going to couples therapy, it’s important to ask yourself what type of partner you would like to have so that it can shape the type of partner you want to become.
Do you think your relationship is falling short of where you would like it to be? Here are three tips on how to prepare for couples counseling.
Only Start When You’re Both Ready
No matter how much you may think your relationship needs counseling if you’re both not ready and willing it simply will not work. Feelings of anxiousness or nervousness are normal, but, no good couples therapist will be able to help a relationship if either partner is hostile or resentful toward the decision of counseling. There’s no shame in not being ready, couples therapy is challenging for both partners. In addition to motivation, timing and assertiveness are just as important when considering couples therapy. Therefore, before making your partner commit to something they don’t want to be a part of, it’s very important to make sure you both are on the same page about seeking couples counseling.
Discuss Shared Goals with Your Partner
Once the two of you have discussed and decided that you’re ready for couples counseling, it’s equally as important that the two of you discuss shared goals. Discussing these goals beforehand can not only help the counseling process but will also help the two of you get the most out of it as possible. Consider asking these questions beforehand:
How do we want to grow as a couple?
What are we currently struggling with?
What have we struggled with in the past?
How is our conflict management?
What do we both want out of life?
You can expect to grapple with some pretty heavy questions in couples counseling. Discussing goals with each other can help the two of you be ready to gather and discuss your thoughts with each other.
Expect To Share Some of Your History
One of the best ways to predict the future is to assess the past. Therefore, before going to your first couples counseling session, it’s important to remember that questions regarding your history are likely to arise. Though it may not seem important, your history can help your therapist understand what kind of environment you grew up in and how you relate to others. Good couples therapy will require honest communication and assessment from both partners. It may be difficult to share at first, but the progress that can be made is infinite.
Quality Counseling Services in Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Florida
No matter the problems that you and your partner want to address in couples therapy, communication is the most essential step in beginning that process. A good couples therapist will help you understand each other’s point of view and discover new ways to restore compassion and intimacy for one another. After several sessions, your relationship will not only become stronger, but you will also find that the two of you are more skillful with one another, leading to greater satisfaction in your relationship.
Since 1997, Dr. April Brown has been in the counseling field. She believes that intimately connecting with ourselves, others, and our Higher Power can eliminate the conflicts, anxiety, and depression in our lives so that we can be empowered to know and live a purposeful life. This mission has led Dr. April Brown to a 20-year career where she has effectively empowered thousands of individuals, couples, and families to break down the barriers that cause fear so that they can embrace true intimacy in their lives.
Is your relationship ready to start couples counseling?
Call Dr. April Brown today for more information at 239-565-6921 or fill out a form at https://capecoraltherapists.com and she will help answer your questions as soon as possible.