Nature of Couples Counseling

Change in a relationship can occur if/when a number of things can be accepted by both parties. One of these is a willingness to take a look at what you bring into the relationship and take responsibility for it. Sometimes this requires exploring one’s childhood in order to get an understanding of where certain behaviors/reactions originated. Other features that foster change in a relationship is a willingness to be open to learning how to compromise in a constructive way; a willingness to respect one another’s individual differences and a willingness to listen (but not necessarily agree) to your partner’s point of view.

Lasting psychological/emotional change often requires a significant investment of time and commitment to the process. Clients can sometimes experience what appears to be a deterioration of progress and/or may sometimes feel as if things are getting worse rather than better. This is normal and is most commonly experienced as a result of becoming aware of certain, previously unconscious and emotionally charged, material. On the other hand, clients may experience a false sense of progress very early on in the therapeutic process, typically due to an unconscious defense mechanism.  Relationships can also experience varying degrees of tension as a result of therapy.

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