What is Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy is for couples who are in a relationship, married or not. It is often referred to as marriage counselling. The goal of couples therapy is to improve the couples' relationship. This type of therapy can also help couples decide whether or not they should continue staying together. Although the focus of couples therapy is on the couple, there are times when the individual psychological issues of one or both parties need to be addressed.
Therapy often includes sessions designed to improve problem solving, build communication skills, and identify life goals and relationship responsibilities. Other common issues include infidelity, financial problems, illness and other life changes, and anger.
Depending on the level of distress in the relationship, therapy can be short term or over a period of several months. While a licensed therapist can counsel couples, marriage and family therapists specialize in relationship issues.
Why Do Couples Have Disagreements, and How Are They Solved?
Every couple experiences highs and lows throughout their relationship, from small-scale scenarios to larger issues. According to marriage and family counselors, couples often have disagreements that go unresolved. In fact, many arguments end in frustration or lead to another fight. This implies that some of these arguments tend to have the same patterns, causes, and consequences. This article will take a look at these patterns, and cover tips you can use to strengthen your relationship.
What causes tension in relationships? The most common topics of arguments for couples include:
- Free time (where to eat, which movies to watch, etc.)
- Money
- Sharing housework
- Physical intimacy
- Extended family obligations & issues
- Children
- Career
- Snoring & other sleeping habits
- Past relationships
It could even be a simple matter of leaving the toilet seat up. However, in some cases, couples could argue about large-scale issues, such as infidelity, abuse or other toxic behaviours.
