For many couples having problems in marriage, divorce has been the first choice. Statistically speaking, 41% of first marriages, 60% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce, though being the child of happily married parents can reduce your risk of divorce by 14%. The explosion of divorce rates seen in the 60s and 70s led to a major upswing in the popularity of couples counseling. Couples counseling techniques may differ from practice to practice, but there are a few couples therapy techniques that most reputable programs use.
Couples therapy exercises aren’t necessarily repeated from firm to firm. The intentions behind them, however, are seen often. Here, we’ll look at the couples therapy techniques that appear in most, if not all high quality practices.
- Adjusting views of the relationship.
The goal of an experienced therapist is to help partners view their relationship more objectively. When couples stop trying to blame one another for problems and instead view their relationship as a process, it becomes easier for them to work through issues. The couples therapy techniques that are typically utilized to achieve this end are primarily data collection actions. Therapists observe how the couple interacts and formulate hypotheses about what factors might be influencing those interactions.
- Changing dysfunctional behavior.
Effective couples therapists try to change the way partners interact. Improving interactions can be accomplished through a variety of techniques, though the presence of any conditions causing physical, psychological, or economic harm will override the use of those techniques. In any of those cases, the therapist is likely to recommend referral to a domestic violence shelter, drug abuse treatment, or anger management.
- Decreasing emotional avoidance.
The couples therapy techniques most people are familiar with are designed to this end. Effective therapists help couples discuss the feelings and thoughts they’ve been masking in order to facilitate better communication and problem solving. Different schools of thought attribute the causes of those feelings and even the causes of the masking to different situations, but most high quality facilities will seek to address them.
- Improving communication.
Effective couples therapies focus on helping partners to communicate more effectively and often employ coaching techniques for couples learning to speak in supportive, understanding ways. Some couples therapy techniques involve didactic instruction while others use practice scenarios in the office.
- Promoting strengths.
The best couples therapists help couples identify the strengths in their relationships, building resilience over the course of the therapy. By focusing on areas of strength as well as areas of weakness, they help the couple feel successful though therapy tends to focus on problem areas.
Couples therapy employing those techniques is generally better poised to be successful as it addresses the root needs of those in relationships. Regardless of a therapist’s particular methods, all of these needs should be addressed in a quality facility. Continue reading here: www.divanyoung.com
I had a really positive experience in therapy. We ended up divorcing, but it was much easier to do when we knew we’d worked it through.