What Is Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy is used to resolve and work through a wide range of issues in your relationship. Some common issues couples seek help for are communication, conflict over shared responsibilities, misunderstanding each other, arguing over small things, and infidelity. Our couples therapists at BHNY use structured therapy methods designed to uncover the core issues, improve communication, and resolve conflict.
Some couples come to us before marriage to work on issues to further strengthen their relationship. Others come to us in crisis, about to break up but want to work things out. Yet other couples have a good long-term relationship but want to fine tune things to improve their life together.
How Does Couples Therapy Work?
Depending on your specific situation and goals, couples therapy borrows from a range of therapy methods to help with your treatment. These methods include teaching couples new ways of communicating, understanding emotions and patterns behind conflicts, and helping couples join together to find practical solutions to problems.
What Does Couples Therapy Help With?
Couple therapy is designed to help with many things that can arise in a relationship, some of which include:
Communication:
Teaching couples new ways of communicating to reduce arguments and resolve disagreements is one of the main benefits of couples therapy.
Conflict:
Couples therapy can help you understand the emotions and patterns behind the conflicts you and your partner experience, which makes it easier to resolve those conflicts when they arise.
Building trust:
Trust is often broken in relationships due to infidelity, dishonesty, or hiding problems from each other. By working on these issues together, couples can restore trust and build a strong bond.
Intimacy and affection:
For a variety of reasons, some couples can experience a lack of intimacy and affection. Couples therapy can help you understand what’s creating the distance and help you regain closeness and intimacy.
Pre-marriage therapy:
Many couples find it invaluable to work out their issues before getting married so they can be confident in moving forward and building a life together.
Differences in love languages:
People can express and receive love in different ways. In couples therapy, you can determine your love language and gain a greater appreciation of how you show affection to each other.
What's It Like Doing Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy involves both you and your partner talking through relationship challenges with your therapist who’s trained to help uncover your core issues. Therapists often ask insightful questions to help couples communicate in healthier more honest ways, understand each other’s perspectives and feelings better, and develop new conflict resolution skills. Sessions can start with your therapist interviewing both of you individually to learn how each partner’s psychology might be affecting the health of the relationship.
Common Techniques
Common techniques used in couples therapy include:
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT):
EFT focuses on the emotions and patterns behind the conflicts couples experience. When couples understand the emotions behind the content of their conflicts, they can learn to communicate by showing they really understand where each other is coming from. As a result, they can develop a stronger bond which allows them to better navigate problems and life’s challenges.
Gottman method:
The Gottman method uses research-based assessments to understand conflicts in verbal communication between couples. The goal focuses on increasing respect and affection by increasing empathy and understanding. It also looks at areas where the relationship has become stagnant to rekindle intimacy.
Reflective Listening:
Reflective listening is a skill couples learn in therapy. Each partner learns to listen carefully to what the other is saying, not only to the spoken words but to the feelings attached. This allows partners to reflect back what was said to each other at a deeper level so each feel heard and understood.
Benefits of Couples Therapy
- Better communication
- Gain deeper understanding of each other
- Learn new skills to resolve conflict
- Restore Trust
- Renew Intimacy
- Strengthen the bond
Couples Therapy at Behavioral Health of New York
1. Contact Our Office
The first step in restoring and revitalizing your relationship is to contact Behavioral Health of New York.
2. Speak with Dr. Levy
Dr. Levy meets with all new couples for the initial consultation.
3. Fill Out Forms
Fill out the needed forms so Behavioral Health of New York will have all the necessary information to get started.
4. Start Your Sessions
Behavioral Health of New York will set up sessions at a convenient time for you and your partner.
Feel Better with Couples Therapy
Let couples therapy revive your relationship with the help of the experienced psychologists at Behavioral Health of New York.
Find BHNY Couples Therapy Near You
Serving NYC, Westchester, and Long Island