Signing on for couple’s therapy can be exciting and sometimes daunting. What should you expect from a therapist when you are working to prepare for marriage, improve your relationship, or manage a crisis? Or rather, what to expect from Couples Therapy? Following are some things you can expect from your therapist at FIT when you are participating in couples therapy.
Understanding:
First and foremost your therapist needs to understand your current goals, feelings, needs, and expectations. Every couple comes into therapy in a different place and needing different things. The therapist’s job is to ask questions to understand what it is that you are hoping for from this process. A collaborative couple’s therapist will do a thorough assessment of your current situation and any historical context then make a plan with you to meet your therapy goals.
Education:
To communicate differently and improve connection, couples need concrete and practical tools that will help in their day to day interactions. Whether you are early in your relationship or have been together many years, a couple’s therapist can provide approachable and practical tools to address your communication struggles. A therapist’s job is to listen and understand, but also teach new tools needed to change the dynamic in a healthy way.
Experiences:
On top of education around tools and teaching couples how to interact differently, couple’s therapists also need to help clients experience each other differently. A good couple’s therapist will help you see the patterns in your relationship, build insight into your needs, and practice interacting with your partner in a more grounded and connecting way. When you experience more positive interactions in couple’s therapy, you are more likely to be able to have a similar encounter at home.
Growth:
A couple’s therapist’s job is to continue assessing the growth, stuck points, and goals of the couple. Identifying a couple’s strengths, resources, and hope for change is an integral part of the process. Open dialogue about the current goals and plan is essential for couples to continue to grow in their work and maintain positive momentum.
At FIT our couple’s therapists work with premarital couples, couples in long-term committed relationships, and couples in crisis. We work to provide a thorough assessment with clear goals, practical tools, positive relational experiences, and ongoing growth. We work to be therapists who are understanding and validating, providing feedback and tools for couples to experience positive, concrete change. Choose a therapist who is right for you and your partner.
