Every relationship has its share of ups and downs and everything in between, but if you find yourself having the same issues over and over with your partner without any solution, it might be time to seek expert advice. Couples therapy is a highly effective way to solve problems and develop healthier relationships. Dr. Zlatin Ivanov helps you manage recurring conflicts or underlying issues between you and your partner and focuses on making things better. Call our NYC psychiatry practice today to schedule your appointment with an experienced therapist to find solutions for saving your relationship and giving it a new lease on life.
Couples usually go for therapy when they are dealing with a specific challenge, such as communication issues, difficulties around sex, affairs, or even considering a breakup. Therapy is about helping couples get unstuck from painful dynamics that keep getting repeated.
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Also known as talk therapy, couple therapy is a form of psychotherapy treatment that helps a couple overcome issues in their relationship and learn better communication. It is not only necessary during a time of crisis like a breakup or major life change but also helps manage recurring conflict or underlying issues.
Couples therapy provides a safe environment for partners to identify problems in their relationship and work together to change things. With the right help, they can work on themselves, address difficulties and make appropriate changes in the relationship for a healthier and stronger bond.
A licensed therapist with clinical experience, often a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), works with couples in romantic relationships. During therapy, partners gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict and improve relationship satisfaction using various therapeutic interventions.
Behavioral relationship counseling techniques can vary depending on the therapist’s experience and the couple’s needs, but it involves the following elements:
Couples who went through this therapy report that they got the help they needed to work on their relationship. They also said it gave them more effective tools to deal with issues.
Couples therapy helps couples better understand their relational pattern and develop the necessary skills for effectively communicating and solving problems with their partners.
Read on to learn more about how couples therapy works and what to expect from your sessions.
The first counseling session usually begins with standard questions about the relationship’s history. The therapist enquires about each partner’s family or origin, values, and cultural background to learn more about them. If necessary, the counselor may use these initial sessions for crisis intervention.
During the sessions, the therapist will begin identifying issues that will be a focus during the treatment. It helps to establish treatment goals and the structure for each counseling session.
During sessions, the therapist will help you identify the problems affecting your relationship. He guides you and your partner to understand your roles in dysfunctional interactions. Gaining a deeper insight into relationship issues and distress will play a key role in changing how you perceive the relationship and each other.
Changing behaviors and learning better ways to interact is another critical aspect of this therapy. Therapists assign homework so you can apply the skills you learn during the sessions to your day-to-day interactions and work on improving your relationship.
Couples therapy can be the most effective way to change the course of your relationship. It ensures both partners are happy, fulfilled, and satisfied.
Some benefits of couples therapy include:
Couples can learn to communicate effectively, take ownership, reflect on what they bring to the relationship, and achieve higher levels of intimacy for a stronger, lasting bond.
Several types of couples therapy techniques can help people search for a better relationship or strengthen their connection.
Some of the popular therapies include:
This method enables you and your partner understand each other on a deeper level, even in times of conflict. It focuses on problem-solving skills and intimacy. Initially, it was conducted as a workshop, but the Gottman method is now more common in private sessions.
Imago therapy focuses on childhood experiences that might impact relationships you have as an adult.
This therapy uses your motivation for change combined with four principles to guide therapy sessions.
The principles include:
It is a reflective listening session where the participating couples take turns and listen intently.
It is a great tool for couples when they have an identified issue or conflict and want to resolve it healthily. With a focus on the problems they are facing and solutions, they can get on track rather quickly.
Various forms of CBT can aid in identifying unhealthy thought or behavior patterns and find better ways to cope.
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Couples therapy is beneficial for any relationship, including:
Therapy for couples is meant to solve current problems, prevent problems from worsening, or help them manage things better during a period of transition or increased stress in life. While a recently engaged couple might find premarital counseling services an invaluable opportunity to address relationship expectations before marriage, an old married couple may find marriage counseling an effective way to add excitement and romance to their relationship.
Some common issues addressed in couples therapy include:
It has been observed that couples usually end up wasting time or waiting to try therapy until the relationship is severely damaged. It does not mean that couples therapy is not beneficial at this point, but the longer you wait, the more problems it creates, and it takes more time and effort to repair a relationship. There are many reasons why people put off getting therapy.
Some of them are:
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Technology has changed the way the world moves, and it has also revolutionized how therapists practice couples therapy. With telemedicine, counseling has become more accessible and affordable. It has also reduced the stigma of receiving therapy in certain parts of the world.
There are several advantages of online couples therapy as compared to traditional, face-to-face sessions. They include:
Many people find the virtual format better as it enables productive conversations, which result in quick treatment progress. Online couples therapy works best when one or both partners frequently travel or have different schedules. It eliminates the need to coordinate a time to attend the session together. Also, couples with children who have trouble finding childcare can benefit from online therapy.
No. In-person couples therapy is generally not covered by insurance. It is the reason it can turn quite costly for some couples after only a few sessions. However, online couples therapy is a much more affordable alternative.
Couples therapy can make the difference you have been looking for in your relationship. Whether you are seeking ways to overcome challenges in your marriage or relationship or want to repair a complex relationship, timely therapy can help.
Counseling provides a platform where couples can discuss the difficulties or issues they face in their relationship. However, couples need to come prepared for success and make efforts to reach their goals. It is never too late to make an effort to repair a relationship, regardless of how long the issues have been present.
Remember, therapy is only successful when both partners have the same goals and commit themselves to improving the relationship. The first step towards this commitment is finding an experienced therapist with whom both partners feel comfortable.
Couple counseling or therapy can be a very healthy step for a relationship. It is a sign that a couple is interested in working on their relationship in a committed, intentional way. Dr. Zlatin Ivanov offers online counseling to help you better understand the problems you a having in your relationship and how you can make the bond with your partner stronger and healthier. He focuses on identifying the issues and encourages both of you to understand the desires, thoughts, and feelings of each other to improve communication and connection.
Dr. Zlatin Ivanov, MD, is an adult psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and OCD. He offers exceptional talk therapy and medication management through online video conferencing.
Dr. Ivanov is double board certified in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurology and a member of the American Psychiatric Association. His medical career is colored by many outstanding contributions to medicine, including several publications, research, and scientific presentations. An attending psychiatrist at Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, he takes the time to listen to patients and makes sure they know he is committed to their unique situation.
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