Couples Therapy and Pre-Marital Counseling
Couples therapy and pre-marital counseling is done with a strengths-based, sex positive, and an emotionally focused approach, which helps couples/partners to identify the underlying emotions that strengthen and/or hinder their relationships. Emotions are the underpinning of behaviors, needs, and thoughts. It is important to learn how to identify, share, and manage emotions which is essential for individuals, but critical for any relationship in particular, romantic or intimate relationships. Themes explored in therapy are customized for each couple and romantic partnership according to their unique needs, but a few of the themes are always suggested as necessary skills for beginning and maintaining a successful union. Pre-Marital Counseling is usually short-term (8–12 sessions) which is customized for each couple, using agreed upon structured themes.
Themes explored range from (but not limited to):
Couples therapy and pre-marital counseling is done with a strengths-based, sex positive, and an emotionally focused approach, which helps couples/partners to identify the underlying emotions that strengthen and/or hinder their relationships. Emotions are the underpinning of behaviors, needs, and thoughts. It is important to learn how to identify, share, and manage emotions which is essential for individuals, but critical for any relationship in particular, romantic or intimate relationships. Themes explored in therapy are customized for each couple and romantic partnership according to their unique needs, but a few of the themes are always suggested as necessary skills for beginning and maintaining a successful union. Pre-Marital Counseling is usually short-term (8–12 sessions) which is customized for each couple, using agreed upon structured themes.
Themes explored range from (but not limited to):
- effective communication and conflict management, particularly about finances and child rearing (which are the two leading causes of separation and divorce);
- balancing and discovering individual needs and the needs of couple ("what do I owe to myself and to my partner--how do I balance all needs successfully?");
- defining a couple’s vision statement;
- religion/spirituality (if applicable or important to the couple);
- negotiating and managing child rearing expectations
- handling outside interference and support from family and friends
- defining intimacy and sexual desires
- exploring and balancing the values that each person brings from their family of origin, understanding how these values strengthen or hinder the couple's relationship, and developing new blended values based on the couples needs and desires.
- transitions and negotiations of roles, responsibilities, and "rights" in the relationship.
- recovery from infidelity, or other kind of trust violations
- managing blended families
- effective management of traumatic or normal life transitions and cycles
- managing or deciding on "alternative" approaches to traditional relationship commitments or sexual expressions (if applicable or important to the couple)
- a body based approach and instruction on how to offer physical comfort to soothe hurts, wounds, or trauma; increase affection expression, intimacy, and sexual satisfaction to ensure a happy and satisfying relationship.