"Couples Therapy Near Me": Finding An Option That Works For You
Being in a romantic relationship undoubtedly has its ups and downs. Even the happiest couples will likely run into unique problems and disagreements at times. While it is often possible for partners to solve problems among themselves, there are many complex challenges that can be presented in a relationship that can be difficult to solve alone.
In many cases, couples therapy or counseling can deliver helpful and unbiased guidance for those who are experiencing complications or unhappiness in their relationship. In this article we will explore some of the possible reasons a couple may want to consider seeking counseling, as well as what options are available and finding therapy near you.
Common reasons couples seek counseling
While every individual faces their own unique challenges, many couples tend to seek relationship counseling for similar reasons. Some of the common reasons couples may consider seeking counseling include:
- You’re experiencing communication issues or having difficulty finding common ground.
- You feel incapable of solving problems together.
- You avoid addressing problems because doing so often leads to arguing.
- You’re fighting, arguing, or bickering frequently.
- You have difficulty trusting or have completely lost trust in your partner.
- You are experiencing a loss of emotional and/or physical connection.
- You are experiencing sexual issues that you did not have in the past.
- You or your partner are engaging in infidelity.
- You have more difficult days than peaceful or happy days.
Again, every individual and couple are likely facing unique challenges. While the above reasons are generally common amongst those seeking couples therapy, each situation will present its own challenges.
A therapist or relationship counselor will typically have the ability to address the unique aspects of your relationship, creating the opportunity for you and your partner to receive specialized guidance geared toward your specific challenges. According to research, couples therapy positively impacts around 70% of those who participate.
Finding an option that works for you
Due to the fact that every relationship presents unique challenges of its own, finding a method of therapy that works best for you and your partner may take a fair amount of time, effort and research.
In an article published by Forbes, psychotherapist and author Beatty Cohan, was quoted saying “It may take several sessions for a couple to assess whether the counseling is helpful.” For this reason, it can be helpful to explore the therapy options that may be available to you and your partner. Some of these options include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Positive Psychology Therapy (PPT)
- Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a common and effective form of therapy that aims to identify and reframe negative thought patterns. According to research, CBT has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for couples looking to improve their relationship.
For couples seeking more short-term options, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) aims to strengthen the physical and emotional bonds between partners experiencing disappointment or distress in their relationship. Typically, EFT is presented in three stages: de-escalation, restructuring interactions, and consolidation.
As the name suggests, Positive Psychology Therapy (PPT) is a relatively new therapeutic approach that places an emphasis on positivity and positive outcomes, while Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) provides a goal and solution oriented method of treatment.
Locating couples therapy near you
Due to the recent uptick in digital mental health services, locating a couples therapist near you is easier than ever. Many online therapy services offer affordable and accessible options for couples seeking guidance from a licensed professional.
Online therapy creates the opportunity for your and your partner to participate in therapy from anywhere, including the comfort of your own home. Moreover, research shows that both individual and couples therapy received online is equally as effective as receiving in-person therapy.
Additionally, online therapy options offer more flexibility in terms of specialization. Typically, in-person therapy options may be limited to the number of providers available in your area. Online therapy services typically offer the option to switch providers in cases where you feel you’re not connecting with your therapist, or need more specialized treatment.
For those looking to explore additional options, it may be helpful to contact your healthcare provider or visit the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy website for more resources.
Takeaway
If you and your partner are experiencing challenges, it can be helpful to remember that a large number of couples experience difficulty at some point in their relationship. In many cases, couples therapy can serve as helpful and effective options for improving or repairing relationships that are in distress, with online and digital options making specialized therapy more accessible than ever before.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How much does couples therapy cost?
Every couple has their disagreements from time to time. However, when disagreements turn into constant conflict, it can cause a divide in a relationship that may result in the relationship ending if proper steps aren't taken to mend it. A popular and healthy option for couples looking to fix problems in their relationship is couples counseling. Couples counseling can help partners communicate with each other in a neutral environment guided by a couples therapist. However, while couples counseling is a healthy and responsible choice in resolving conflict, many people find it difficult to afford a couples therapist. Some couples therapists are cheaper than others.
This often causes couples to avoid treatment if they are worried about the price. Some couples find themselves unable to afford a couples therapist.
Typically speaking, a couples therapist costs around $150 to $300 per session in the United States. Each session is around 90 minutes long. During your first session with a couples therapist, they will probably provide you with a course of action for your next sessions and get to know you as a couple to see where your relationship stands. The total amount of sessions you need for couples counseling will depend on the unique situation that you and your partner have.
Alternatively, if you are looking for couples counseling but do not want to pay for in-person therapy, you do have the option to try counseling with a couples therapist online. Generally speaking, couples counseling online is more convenient for people and can be more affordable. However, by searching "couples therapist near me” online, you may also be able to find the "right therapist near me" which could be both affordable and a good fit for you and your partner.
Is couples therapy covered by health insurance?
While most health insurance companies will cover individual therapy sessions, they do not typically cover couples counseling. Unlike individual counseling covered under the "medical condition" portion provided by insurance companies, couples counseling is deemed more a choice than a physical or mental health condition that would require a medical diagnosis.
If you and your partner are looking for a couples therapist but cannot afford the treatment for an in-person experience, the best option you have is to look for couples counseling online. It is generally more affordable and convenient for helping couples who may have busy schedules.
What is the best therapy for couples?
Contrary to popular belief, there is more than one form of therapy known for helping couples. Depending on your relationship's unique circumstances, one type of couples counseling method may be more tailored to your needs than another.
That being said, here are some of the best couples therapy methods that are available:
1. Imago Couples Counseling
With an imago couples therapist, you will focus on healing and growing together with your partner. This type of therapy will encourage you and your partner to open up about your past experiences, problems you faced during childhood, any trauma you have experienced, and more. The goal of this is to help you and your partner grow closer together by getting to know one another personally on an emotional and romantic level. This type of therapy tends to focus on how childhood experiences may affect your relationship in the future.
2. The Gottman Method
When you go to a couples therapist who utilizes the Gottman Method, you will be focusing on several significant components in your life that will help you and your partner get to know each other.
- Building trust with one another
- Committing yourselves to one another
- Turning towards each other rather than apart
- Building a love map with your partner –finding out about their hopes and dreams
- Using positivity in moments when you are in conflict
3. Family Therapy
With a family therapist, you and your partner and sometimes other members of your family will work out conflicts. A marriage and family therapist tends to deal with more overarching conflicts that don't necessarily involve just the couple themselves but may affect the whole family. At the same time, a marriage and family therapist may work solely with the couple; it's just often more of a group therapy setting that you will experience or be encouraged to try. Not all couples find this method helpful if there is no one else involved in their conflict.
To find therapists that practice these types of therapeutic practices, try researching "couples therapist near me" online, and you should come up with numerous options to help you out.
Is couples therapy covered by Medicare?
Yes, Medicare does often cover couples therapists under part B. Medicare will likely cover up to 80% of a couples therapist's cost if recommended or provided to you by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, physician, or nurse specializing in counseling.
That being said, Medicare will probably not cover treatment by a marriage and family therapist unless your marriage and family therapist works for a clinical facility.
What to do when you can't afford couples therapy?
When seeking help from a couples therapist, not all couples can afford traditional therapy methods, as they tend to be quite expensive. For example, a 90-minute session with a couples therapist can cost you anywhere from $150 to $300. Several sessions are usually required.
For couples who cannot afford this type of therapy in person, the best couples therapy you will find next to this will likely be online. When you go online to BetterHelp and ReGain, you can seek couples and family therapists for a much more affordable price. That being said, if you are still unable to afford a family therapist online, here are some methods that can help you and your partner through your conflict:
- Read the Seven Principles for Doing Marriage Work written by couples and family therapist John Gottman. A type of therapist couples see who uses Gottman’s teaching, which he writes about in his book, to help couples through their conflict.
- Sign up for a therapist couples workshop. There are often workshops that go along with the Gottman book that you and your partner may find helpful.
- Sit down with your partner and try and speak to each other calmly to make a plan about how you will work on things together.
What is the difference between marriage counseling and couples therapy?
When couples see a marriage counselor instead of a couples therapist, there are some differences that people may not be aware of. While these types of therapy are sometimes used interchangeably, there can be some differences that you should know before deciding which one you should choose.
Here are some of the generally accepted differences:
- Marriage counseling assists couples in dealing with the challenges they face in their marriage. The overall goal of this type of counseling is to help you get your marriage back on track. Rather than focusing on past events, it works with couples in the present. However, it does offer you the ability to talk about the differences you have with your partner. It allows you to work through them so you can learn to make compromises with each other in the future.
- Couples therapy, on the other hand, requires couples to work on the core of their problems. Rather than working on present conflicts, your therapist could ask you to relieve some of the arguments and disagreements you have experienced in the past so you can find out the reason they began in the first place.
Is it worth going to couples counseling?
For many couples, yes, it is worth going to couples counseling. It is an effective way to assist partners in learning how to cope and handle the types of stress they are experiencing in their relationship.
While couples counseling can be more of a short-term option for couples, it could help you and your partner learn how to communicate healthily with each other so you can focus on moving forward. That being said, both partners in the relationship must participate in couples counseling sessions. It will not work if one of you is not committed to making things work.
Therefore, the effectiveness of couples counseling will be what you put into it at the beginning and what you are searching for as a result. Some people may even utilize couples counseling as a way to prove that they have tried everything to make a relationship work before accepting that a relationship may be destined to end.
Does couple therapy really work?
Yes, couples therapy does work for many partners. There can be a stigma around couples therapy that makes couples afraid to begin any form of treatment together. However, it is a very therapeutic process that can help save your relationship.
Couples therapy is more long-term than couples counseling and focuses on getting to the roots of problems so you can identify what is causing you to have these challenges in your relationship. However, you are only going to get out what you put into your therapy sessions. Therefore, it is encouraged that you and your partner are equally invested in working on your problems so you can move forward and begin repairing your relationship. A willingness to improve and a dedication to making the relationship work can boost couples' therapy.
What kind of therapist is best for couples?
How long should couples therapy last?
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