Most people want to be in love and in a relationship. But what the Fairytales don’t tell you is that the “Happily Ever After” takes work. Falling in love isn’t the end of a couple’s story, but rather just the beginning. In order to preserve this beautiful thing that you and your partner have built together, you may need an outsider perspective to help strengthen your bond.
What is Relationship Counselling?
Unlike individual therapy where the client and therapist work towards the client’s individual goals, in relationship counselling, the couple and the therapist all together focus on the couple’s relationship goals. Initially, the therapist has a session with one partner, then the other, before the couple and the therapist work together.
You may be asking yourself, “Why meet with us separately first?” The reason for this is so that the therapist can understand each individual’s personal history. This includes their past relationships, mental and physical health history. We also discuss their parents’ relationship, their current relationship as well as any problems, concerns or difficulties they want to work through. We do this because how we function in a relationship is often influenced by our past experiences and the relationships we grew up witnessing. We tend to think that these things do not influence us but research shows that in fact, they do!
Once these individual sessions are completed the couple and therapist work in tandem to tackle concerns and strengthen the couple’s relationship with each other. In relationship counselling, it is important to understand that the therapist is not there to take sides but to help facilitate open and honest communication.
Relationship counselling can benefit any couple: people who are dating, engaged, married, getting divorced or divorced. Common areas of focus during relationship counselling sessions include communication, infidelity, sex, behavioural issues and parenting.