Finding the Joy within a Painful Couple’s Experience
Embarking on the couple’s journey of therapy can be a pivotal step in nurturing and strengthening your relationship. Yet apprehension, fear and loathing may also accompany your thoughts. Here is a guide to prepping the body and mind for couple’s therapy:
- Find Mutual Agreement
Successful couples therapy thrives on mutual commitment. Prior to embarking on this journey, make gentle attempts to find mutual agreement that couples treatment would be helpful. Talk about both the ups and downs of your relationship. Connect it to the possibility of both partners making change. - Make Less Lists
Couples often come to their first session with a “list” of wrongs the other has done. Or a “list” of rights they, themselves have invested into the relationship. Instead, reduce your lists and be ready to communicate your pain experience in the relationship. - Embrace Patience and Persistence
Couples therapy is a journey, not a quick fix. Our couple’s therapists will likely be engaging with you on problems that have marinated for years. Anticipate that progress may take time, and be prepared for fluctuations in emotions and challenges along the way. Practice patience, resilience, and a willingness to persist through difficulties. Remember, enduring solutions often require sustained effort and commitment. - Cultivate Private, Confidential Honesty
Create a safe space for open and honest communication during therapy sessions. Embrace vulnerability and transparency, recognizing that sharing your authentic feelings and experiences is essential for progress. Trust in the therapeutic process and your therapist’s guidance as you navigate sensitive topics together. - No Contingencies
Are you waiting to change just as long as your partner changes. It’s likely they are to. Logically, this will lead to no change. Make the enduring, lasting changes you want whether it will help this relationship or the next one. - Prepare for Personal Disclosure
Be prepared to share intimate details and personal experiences during therapy sessions. Your therapist may inquire about your relationship history, emotional dynamics, and individual perspectives. Embrace this opportunity for deeper self-awareness and exploration, trusting in the therapeutic process to foster understanding and connection. - Complete Paperwork Thoughtfully
Ahead of your first session, you’ll likely be required to complete paperwork by your couples therapist. View this process as an opportunity for self-reflection and introspection. Honest and thorough completion of the paperwork not only helps your therapist gain insights into your concerns but also encourages personal insight and awareness.
Know You Did Everything You Could in this Couple’s Journey
Embarking on couples therapy in Los Gatos signifies a proactive commitment to strengthening your relationship. It can often be more painful to know you didn’t try. If you enter this journey with a willingness to change, the process will be worth it.
By following these preparatory steps and approaching therapy with openness and dedication, you can lay the groundwork for transformative growth and healing.
For a couple’s therapy session appointment, please reach out to us completing this quick and easy form.