How To Find A Couple’s Counselor
All relationships face challenges and undergo stress. Maybe the two of you cannot agree lately, or work has become a burden, or a family member is sick. Any of these things can cause an otherwise happy relationship to turn into a terrible situation. Some people, when faced with this, will give up and try to move on. Others like you want to save a relationship that matters to them.
When you and your partner are experiencing relationship issues, an avenue to mediate any relationship, the struggle is through a couple's counselor. Couples counseling can provide tools for both you and your spouse when navigating issues in your relationship. Here are tips for finding the best couple's counselor for your relationship.
Foreword: Having An Open Mind
At least at first, many people experience some discomfort with the idea of going to couples counseling. There can be any number of reasons that a person would not want to attend. It is of utmost importance that you become aware of some things that may stand between you and your (or your partner's) progress before choosing a counselor. Whether you resolve them beforehand or during counseling, you will need to overcome these obstacles. In this section, we will go over some of the most common.
Swallow Your Pride
Some people feel embarrassed about receiving couples counseling. They feel as though they should be able to fix their relationship on their own. However, when things start to get out of control, there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help. In fact, willingness to get help should indicate to your partner that you genuinely care about your relationship with them.
If you or your partner decide to try and fix it alone and fail, you may end up feeling silly for avoiding therapy. Should you go into counseling without intending to take it seriously, you will defeat the therapy's purpose and further damage the relationship. Also, the money you spent on it will not come back, so it would be extraordinarily wasteful not to make the most of it. It is up to you to decide - what is worth more, your relationship or your ego?
Let Down Your Walls
It is challenging to tell anyone about the shortcomings of a relationship. This is especially true when you have only just met the person you confide in. You may not be sure if you can trust the person yet, or if they will approve of the things you say. While it is your counselor's job to establish rapport, trust, and communication are two-way streets. If you are unable to meet your counselor halfway, they will have considerable difficulty helping you. Remember that these are paid professionals with formal training, and they are there to assist you. It might help to remember that they have seen it all, and they have probably heard the same or worse from other clients. Even if not, a counselor's job is to counsel, not pass judgment.
Be Ready To Try
When you begin counseling of any type, you may hear some things you do not want to hear. Sometimes, though, we need someone to tell us painful truths so that we can heal and grow. Your counselor may point out some things you could work on. Should you react badly, you might be tempted to look for someone else or stop counseling altogether. Rather than scoff at the suggestions, though, it is worth considering them.
Relationships require compromise and sacrifice, and you might have a few bad habits that you will have to lose to keep yours together. Be willing to see the situation from the perspective of your partner and others around you. If you are not, the best counselor in the world will not be able to help you.
The point is, you will probably be asked to try some new things. It is perfectly natural for people to resist change to some degree. Eventually, though, you will have to decide if you are willing to bear the discomfort of novel experiences in your relationship's interest. If you don't go all the way, your counseling results are sure to be unsatisfactory.
Couple's Counseling Basics
If you have successfully resolved the problems above, then you have arrived at a mindset that will be responsive to counseling. The next step is to start shopping around. While this section's focus will be on the counselor, there are other things to consider. You will need to find a balance between all of these things to make the best choice.
The most important aspect of finding a couple's counselor is pinpointing the one that will best help you and your partner. Make sure that the counselor you choose is a choice that both of you agree on. Be sure to focus on picking a couple's counselor to help you mend your relationship, not help you leave it.
Avoid The Possibility Of Favoritism
It is important to find a counselor that has things in common with both you and your partner. If one partner "clicks" with the counselor significantly more than the other, the latter partner may feel slighted. This situation also leaves room for genuine bias. A counselor may favor one client over another and demonstrate those feelings unbeknownst to themselves. Situations like these can be hard to identify and even harder to resolve.
Value Objectivity More Than Anecdotes
At first glance, it seems like seeing a counselor who has been through your situation would offer the best advice for getting through it. This is because, having been in this situation, they acted out one role in a two-person play. If you or your partner is playing a similar role, the counselor may see themselves in that person, and the sessions will be skewed.
This can be a difficult situation to avoid. Many people have experiences in common, and relationships are no exception. General things like frequent arguing or communication hiccups are things that almost everyone has to deal with, and it is okay to have these things in common.
You are looking to avoid egregious situations that your counselor may have gone through - especially recently. If infidelity was an issue in a counselor's recent relationship, their still-fresh emotions could cloud their judgment when they go to advise you. Find a counselor with an aesthetic distance from your situation.
Specialization Helps
Sometimes, during their education, a counselor may have studied specific situations in couple's counseling. If your counselor holds a Ph.D., for instance, their prior research experience may have been focused on the problem you and your partner are experiencing. Most couple's counselors will indeed have something to offer you in the way of help. However, specialized knowledge of your specific subject can only serve to help further you resolve the problem.
Counselors with Master's degrees have often conducted research, as well. Most students that pursue post-graduate education work as research assistants at their respective schools. While this means they did not likely organize the study they were a part of, they still bring a unique experience to the table. If you ask your counselor about the projects they have participated in, they will be more than happy to fill you in.
Finding A Counselor With Mutual Respect
Another important factor when choosing a couple's counselor is making sure there is an environment of trust and respect between you, your partner, and your counselor. Don't be swayed by fancy rhetoric, clever marketing campaigns, or a counselor that strives to provide only one of you with many benefits. A mutual feeling of respect must exist between all parties.
What Is The Counselor Like?
Even though you're searching for a counselor that best suits you and your partner, keep in mind that a counselor's own relationship opinions and ideas matter in your therapy. You want to find a couple's counselor that believes in relationship goals and ideas akin to your own. However, this might seem like an extra step. Having a couple's counselor that understands you and your partner's goals is paramount for a successful bout of therapy.
Set Goals Early On
Ensure your couple's counselor is keen on setting and achieving your and your partner's goals early. Setting goals is extremely important for couples seeking to mend their relationship, and without them, there is no path for both of you to walk together on. Having a counselor whose goals are in line with yours helps them lead you and your partner to the path of success.
Look To The Future
Hashing out childhood behaviors to assess current, real-time relationship issues isn't a productive way to start your couple's counseling. Finding a counselor that looks to address the future while also focusing on the present and past but not sticking to it will help both of you work towards an ideal place in your attainable relationship.
Couple's counseling can seem like a daunting prospect when you're having relationship trouble. Finding the couple's counselor that best suits both of your needs is the most important aspect of taking the therapy plunge. Focusing on the future and how your counselor mediates you and your partner's issues will only lead you both to a resolution, not a breakup.
For more tips on how to find a couple's counselor, visit https://www.regain.us/start/
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Do I Choose A Couples Counselor?
A couple of factors may go into deciding who to go to for couples counseling or couples therapy. First, you want to make sure that the couples therapist or counselor you’re seeing is licensed. Next, if you’re looking for any specific traits in a couples therapist, you’ll want to see who has those traits. For example, if you’re looking for a couples therapist who specializes in a specific form of couples therapy or couples counseling, such as emotionally focused therapy (EFT), you’d want to seek someone out with that specialty. Then, you’ll want to look into the cost. How much does it cost to see this couples therapist or couples counselor? Every couples therapist or counselor offers different rates and accepts different payment methods (insurance, an employee assistance program, sliding scale rates, etc.), so this is considered. All of the couples therapists at ReGain are licensed, and online therapy is generally less expensive than traditional in-person couples therapy is in the absence of insurance. Consider online therapy as an easy way to get paired with a couples therapist who meets your needs.
Do Unmarried Couples Go To Counseling?
Absolutely. Just like married couples, unmarried couples go to couples therapy or counseling for a variety of reasons. Therapy helps people work through any concerns that arise in a relationship, whether small or large. Couples might seek marriage and family therapy, couples counseling, or couples therapy for concerns such as infidelity, sex or intimacy, and communication issues. Additionally, therapy helps couples with parenting, increasing affection, learning to better support a partner, or preparing for marriage. Seeing a provider such as a licensed marriage and family therapist for couples counseling or couples therapy doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re unhappy. However, couples counseling can help if you are.
What Is The Difference Between Marriage Counseling And Couples Therapy?
Typically, if someone says “marriage counseling,” they refer to relationship therapy or counseling for a married couple. If someone says “couples therapy,” they may be referring to relationship therapy or counseling for a couple of any status, whether they’re married or not. There are several routes you can take to find a couples counselor or therapist. To find a couples counselor or therapist, you can search the web for phrases such as, “licensed marriage and family therapist couples counseling near me,” “marriage and family therapy couples therapy near me,” “licensed marriage and family therapist couples therapists near me,” use an online directory or sign up for an online therapy website such as ReGain to get started. ReGain offers both individual therapy and couples therapy or couples counseling, so whether you need to find a therapist for individual therapy or relationship therapy, you can get started with ReGain.
What Should I Ask A Couples Therapist?
The questions you ask a couples therapist depend on what you’re there for and what stage of seeing them you’re in. If you’re currently hoping to find a therapist or find a couples counselor and are surveying your options, you might ask the following questions:
- Where did you go to school?
- What are your specialties? (emotionally focused therapy, the Gottman method, etc.)
- What concerns do you typically help couples with?
- How much does it cost to see you per session?
- Do you take insurance?
If you’re currently seeing a provider, whether it’s for individual therapy, marriage and family therapy, couples counseling, or couples therapy, the questions you ask will be more catered to your situation. For example, if you find a couples counselor or are seeing a couples therapist for frequent arguments, you might ask, “how can we communicate better and work through arguments more effectively?”
What Is The Gottman Method?
The Gottman Method is a form of couples therapy or couples counseling practiced by some couples therapists. To find a couples counselor or find a therapist who utilizes the Gottman method, you can search the web for terms such as “find a couples counselor Gottman method couples counseling,” “couples therapists Gottman method,” or “Gottman method couples therapists near me.” You can also use an online directory or use an online therapy platform.
How do I find a local couples therapist?
What kind of therapist is best for couples?
How do you interview a marriage counselor?
Can a therapist see a couple individually?
What techniques do marriage counselors use?
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