Does couples therapy / relationship counselling work? Advantages and disadvantages of couples therapy / relationship counselling

Does relationship counselling work? How successful is couples counselling? Will attending couples therapy / counselling save our marriage? Will couples therapy / counselling save our relationship? Could a Relationship therapist save our relationship / marriage?

Will pre-marital counselling help us better prepare for marriage?

Upon realising that a relationship is in trouble a lot might go through your mind as you search for answers in an effort to rescue your relationship and save it from failure. The divorce rate is constantly on the increase and so many may try all they can to keep their relationships alive in order to avoid being another statistic.

Others might feel that due to the high and ever increasing divorce rates it would be better to be a little more prepared for the world of marriage and might consider pre-marital counselling or a Relationship Therapist as an adequate preparation tool. 
For more on pre-marital counselling or therapy read here

Couples therapy / counselling is one of the many ways to try and solve your relationship problems or protect you against future ones in order to move forward together.

What is couples therapy or relationship counselling?

According to Mayo Clinic, Marriage / couples counselling is often provided by a licensed Relationship Therapist (marriage or family therapist) and aids couples in recognising and resolving conflicts  in order to improve their relationships. It helps the couples make thoughtful decisions about either rebuilding their relationship or going their separate ways. 

Counselling or  therapy usually include both partners but can consist of private sessions as well.

What are the advantages or benefits of couples therapy / marriage counselling?
There are many advantages to couples counselling. I will list a few of these below.

• Having a 'middle man' or unbias party in the form of a Relationship Therapist who doesn't know either of you, can sometimes help to solve your relationship problems. In most cases relationship problems arise and are hard to solve due to the fact that both parties feel that he / she is right in the situation. Having someone with an opinion as looking from the 'outside' would only do the relationship good in this regard.

• The act of marriage or relationship counselling is excellent for couples who might experience difficulty expressing themselves as it is the perfect opportunity for communication. The Relationship Therapist / Relationship Counsellor involved in the session is qualified in understanding communication and will make it his / her duty to get adequate communicating going in the relationship.

• Couples therapy or marriage counselling is said to host the advantage of allowing couples to know and understand each other better. This could be attributed to the fact that communication is made better allowing both partners to be able to get their feelings across adequately and the other to listen more effectively.

• Counselling helps couples identify what the main problem in their relationship is. Some couples might fight often but not realise that there is a deeper or underlying problem. The minor fights or bickering might constantly be there due to a bigger underlying problem and counselling or therapy helps to identify this problem before finding solutions to it.

Does couples therapy / marriage counselling work?

Just as with many other problems in life, relationship problems have a better chance of being sorted out if you detect the problems and seek help sooner than later. The longer you leave relationship problems without addressing them in an aim to sort them out the more likely the problems are to be irreversible. 

According to couples counselling in Chicago relationship counselling can reverse a relationship which may be headed in a downward spiral. 

Statistics on couples counselling on livestrong.com (as written by Beverly Bird) 

show that in accordance with a report produced by ‘The Association for the Advancement of Behaviour Therapy’, on which a study was done,  67% of couples show a noticeable improvement in their relationship just two years after engaging in a form of couples therapy known as the integrative behavioural technique. With regards to emotionally focused therapy, according to the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, 70% - 73% of couples reported fulfilment in their marriage around two years later.

Additional research on couples therapy statistics proves that at the end of couple’s therapy, 75% of couples are better off than their counterparts who may not have received any therapy.

65% of couples reported major improvements based on scores of marital "satisfaction."

If there is no hope for your relationship for various reasons (love is lost within your relationship, you both feel that it is not worth working on or fixing, etc) a couples therapy session could help you both realise that and take the first step in going your separate ways.

Should we get couples counselling?
The decision on whether to get a Relationship Therapist involved or take part in couples counselling / therapy is a very personal one. If you're willing to sort out your relationship whether it may mean moving forward together or going your separate ways then relationship counselling / therapy would be a great decision. 

If you're looking to find help in moving on from your current relationship, couples therapy could help you make things easier by addressing all hindrances more clearly.

If you're hopeful with regards to your relationship and would really like to make things work then marriage counselling / couples therapy could only do a world of good for the both of you and your relationship. 

No matter your reason for considering couples therapy / counselling, there is nothing wrong with giving your relationship one last chance. Looking at the numerous advantages of relationship therapy and the positive statistics regarding the results it could only be to the benefit of your relationship as a whole as well as you and your partner as individuals.

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Posted by Jade