People are often scared of the idea of therapy or counselling. Even more frightening is the idea of going to therapy with someone else. For example, in couples therapy. This can cause feelings of fear or dread to intensify. Knowing what to expect will make your appointments easier. It can also give you some assurance that, whatever happens, your future therapy sessions will be more reassuring.
You and your partner meet with a specialist for couples counselling to discuss and explore problems that you both face. The therapist helps you and your partner to be more open, while highlighting both the positives in your relationship as well as what may be causing you stress. For Couples Counselling Cheltenham, visit www.cheltenhamcounsellor.co.uk/couples-counselling-cheltenham
Remember that this is an incremental process. It will take some time before you can both open up completely. You will also need to put in effort to make sure that your sessions are successful. Couples therapy can be effective and helpful if you have patience and perseverance.
What to expect during a couple’s therapy session
Couples therapy may include the following exercises:
Get to know yourself or others
The first sessions will begin with the basics. Your counsellor needs to get to understand you, including your likes and dislikes, family history, and what makes you tick. It may initially feel like an interview, but as the relationship between you and your counsellor grows, it will become more relaxed.
Homework tasks
You will probably be given assignments by your therapist to complete between sessions. They can be anything from exercises that require you to communicate more to tasks that involve using specific words and phrases when managing conflict (such as “I”, instead of “you”) During subsequent sessions, you will be asked to discuss these assignments.
Trust Exercises
It may be necessary to participate in exercises of trust, such as “trust falls” with your partner.
These tasks can include holding hands or maintaining eye contact over a certain period of time. These tasks are meant to help you feel more comfortable showing affection or being intimate with your partner.
It may be suggested that you create a list with fun, new activities for both of you to do. It will bring a new sense of excitement and novelty to your relationship. You might also be asked to create an appreciation list, where you record all the things you like about your partner to help rekindle good feelings.