Gain a better understanding about
couple therapy by following these questions & answers:
What is couple therapy?
Couple therapy means resolving problems and conflicts that happened on a couple. Some couples take pre-marital counseling before getting married to anticipate problems in their relationship. Couple therapy focuses on the problems existing in the relationship between couples. Not all couples are married. The term couples therapy is preferred to marriage counseling, marital therapy, or two people who love each other. So, gay and lesbian couples can also take benefits from couple therapy.
What factors that influence a couple's relationship?
Many factors can influence couples relationship & cause couples problems. The factors can come from both inner and outer of couple.
The inner factors that influence couples relationship such us:
- illness
- sexual dissatisfaction
- missunderstanding
- bad emotional behavior
- abuse of alcohol and/or drugs
- etc.
The outer factors that influence couples relationship such us:
- problem in community
- problem in office
- frequent job changes
- work under high pressure
- etc.
How do I know if I should see a therapist?
If you have some couple problems and cannot solve it, you need a therapist. When you need a therapist, some signal will appears, like can't sleep, have problems concentrating, feelings of marital dissatisfaction, emotional distress, drastic weight fluctuations, etc.
How to find a couple therapist?
There are many therapy resources available on the internet, in yellow pages, magazines, and books. It's like you look for a lawyer, an insurance agency, or a doctor. Some information maybe not good, so you have to discuss it with your family, social service agencies, community information centers, or associations related on couple therapy.
How much will it cost?
Costs are various. It depends on how complex your problems are, private practice therapy or in hospital, etc. Costs should be discussed before you take it.
How long does couple therapy take?
It depends on the problems, how much effort & time you are willing to put into your healing and growth, and therapist's approach. Some it takes 5-12 sessions on few months. Every session takes around from 75 minutes to 100 minutes. The therapist usually give you an estimate time when create a treatment plan. Just discuss it on early sessions.
Should a couple make an appointment together or separately?
It recommends that both of husband & wife come in together for the first. After first session, therapist can recommend either appointment individually or couple.
If couple therapy doesn't work what else can I do?
A therapist is like a mediator between couples. Therapist aims is to solve couples problems. If you have followed all steps but it still doesn't work, therapist should refer you on other treatment. Finally, you have to understand that couple therapy is only one treatment option.
