Couples counselling is a form of psychotherapy that helps couples work through conflicts and improve their relationships. Why is counselling important for couples? There are countless benefits of relationship counselling for both married and unmarried couples. It’s most commonly used to treat relationship problems like infidelity, poor communication, lack of intimacy or conflict resolution issues. The effectiveness of couples therapy varies from couple to couple and their dedication to the relationship. It can be an effective way for you and your partner to resolve issues within the relationship. Couples’ therapy isn’t just for couples who are going through a rough patch. Rather, it’s an ongoing practice for anyone who wants to maintain a vibrant and healthy relationship. Building a strong foundation today is the key to keeping the love alive as time goes on.
If you’re looking to evolve or grow your relationship, seeing a couples therapist is a fantastic first step. Here are 7 major benefits of relationship counselling.
1. Develop better communication skills
Communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship. This is often why couples go to therapy — to hear and understand each other better. Your counsellor will help you uncover each other’s needs and teach you how to effectively communicate with one another. You’ll learn the importance of listening, compromise, and conflict resolution — helping you achieve a happier, more harmonious relationship with your partner. Communication is a highly valuable benefit of relationship counselling, and it’s one of the most common problems addressed in couples therapy.
2. Learn conflict resolution
Another benefit of couples therapy is to strengthen the way you handle conflict and arguments. Conflict is bound to happen in even the strongest relationships. If it’s not happening, you may not be communicating your needs at all. It can be difficult to find the right words to resolve conflict. Couples counselling teaches partners how to solve problems through active listening, respecting each other’s opinions, managing emotions and expectations, and learning how to cope with insecurities. Counsellors provide tools and advice to help you be more open and honest with each other, support one another during difficult times, and how to be more patient with each other — even when things get tough.
A relationship counsellor is an expert in guiding couples to sort their problems in a safe, supportive environment. A combination of techniques such as active listening and problem-solving can help you identify the issues that are standing in your way and work towards resolving them. The goal is to then take those new skills into your day-to-day routines — strengthening your relationship through every interaction.
3. Disclose your feelings in a safe space
What do you talk about during couples therapy? Anything you want. A counsellor acts as a neutral and skilled third party to guide the conversation. Couples counselling is a great place to be open about your needs. Your counsellor will not judge you, but rather help you figure out how best to communicate and resolve things with your partner.
In couples counselling, there is no hiding or pretending that everything is okay when it isn’t. This environment is safe for each person to disclose exactly how they feel without fear of judgment or rejection by their partner or counsellor. This kind of environment encourages open communication, allowing couples to uncover the root of their issues. Once issues are out in the open, the counsellor guides the couple to communicate in order to overcome them together.
4. Get an unbiased opinion
In addition to helping you disclose your feelings, a couple’s counsellor can take an unbiased perspective. Partner’s are often approaching issues with such an emotional standpoint that they lose sight of the ultimate goal — to maintain and grow a healthy relationship together. What’s more, couples often pull in friends and family for a second opinion, leading to heavily biased comments and advice. A counsellor will hear and address your problems in an impartial way. They’re not on anyones side. Their only goal is to healh the relationship and leave both partners feeling heard and understood.
5. Get to know your role in the relationship
A large part of the process of couples counselling is for you to learn about yourself, your role in the relationship, and how it impacts your partner. For many couples, the relationship has fallen into autopilot — rendering couples unaware of their relationship patterns. Couples counselling allows you to understand how your behaviour affects your partner, as well as how their behaviour has impacted you. It is through this understanding that couples can begin to resolve issues and improve communication skills.
Gain more understanding about questions like:
- Is the power dynamic balanced?
- Which positive or negative communication patterns do you fall into?
- Is there a common issue that keeps coming up over and over again? How can you overcome that?
- How does each person handle conflict?
- What does each partner need to feel more loved?
- What kinds of compromises could help you get there?
The answers to these questions can help you both understand the positive and negative patterns in your relationship which is one of the keys to developing a strong bond.
6. Become aware of each other’s needs
We have a natural tendency to see things from our perspective. When you’re so deep in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, it can be tough to consider your partner. Couples therapy encourages both partners to zoom out and become more aware of each other’s needs. This awareness leads to better communication and a stronger relationship as each person feels heard and understood. A counsellor will also help you meet each other’s needs by providing you with actionable things to try together. For example, if one of you wants more affection than the other partner is used to, a couples counsellor will help you compromise and find a solution — leaving both people satisfied.
Counselling also provides an opportunity for couples to reflect on their past experiences together. For instance, which routines work best for both of you, how to hit relationship milestones, or how to recreate the magic that was once there.
7. Gain or restore trust
Another couples therapy benefit is strengthening trust in the relationship. Trust is a key ingredient in any relationship. It’s earned, not given. Trust is based on consistent behaviour, honesty, and openness. This can only be achieved when both partners are ready to commit to working through their problems together as a couple. It’s particularly important to work on trust if there’s been a breach of it, like lying or infidelity. A couple’s counsellor uses effective techniques and homework exercises to guide a couple back to a trusting place.
It’s never too early
There are indeed benefits of couples counselling, even before marriage. Many couples wait until the relationship goes south before seeking counselling. A better approach is to actively take part in couples therapy, even while the relationship is going fantastic. Working with a professional during the best of times will teach you how to recreate these positive moments when things get hard. The earlier you start, the sooner you can develop the skills necessary to meet each other’s needs, work through difficult conversations, and create an overall healthy relationship. Once you are married, there are countless benefits of marriage counselling as your relationship grows and evolves, and as your lives intertwine. The key is to be proactive and to continue working on your relationship.
Take advantage of the benefits of relationship counselling
Can couples therapy make things better? Absolutely! It’s one of the best investments you and your partner can make in your relationship. A couple’s therapist is trained to strengthen your bond through smooth moments in your relationship and guide you through rough moments like conflict and loss of trust. The ultimate goal is to keep the relationship vibrant through effective communication, resolution, and openness. It’s important to work with a couple’s therapist who meets your needs to maximize the benefits of relationship counselling. Wellin5’s online counsellors are equipped to support you through every step in your relationship as a couple. Get matched with a counsellor who’s trained to help you grow in specific areas of your relationship. Heal your relationship.