Couples Therapy

Couples therapy differs from individual therapy and from family therapy in that the focus of the session is on the intimate relationship between two people. The official status of the couple is not important, just that they are committed to problem-solving their relationship difficulties, commitment issues, infidelity, anger, or other mental health struggles that may be present. At CourserLapo, some goals of couples therapy could be as follows: 

• To reduce communication problems and conflict through getting past surface-level problems (such as defensiveness, criticism, and blaming)
• To lessen codependency
• To work toward healing from infidelity or other emotional hurts using communication and conflict resolution skill training
• Emotionally-focused connection building
• Increasing insight into your fighting styles and automatic reactions and working through conflict in the presence of a facilitator.  
• Understanding your own  emotions and those of your partner's and thoughts about the relationship

This may include self-soothing, digging deep into emotions, relaxation, and mindfulness, conflict enactments, and team-building for fondness and admiration. Occasionally individual partners are referred to work on individual mental health problems on top of couples' work to learn how to handle them together. Both partners are expected to be present at each session unless the therapist specifies otherwise.  Both partners are expected to be open, honest, and committed to working on the relationship inside and outside of the sessions.

Methods that may be used include Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Schnarch method therapy techniques, Attachment-based Couples therapy, and Cognitive -Behavioral Therapy styles.

Couples therapy is NOT suggested for couples who are currently experiencing domestic violence, abuse, neglect, or an ongoing affair.