Couples Therapy: it is for everyone.

To begin with, Centric Mental Health recognises that couples and relationships look different from house to house. We invite couples who have been together for a short time and are struggling to those who have made lifelong commitments to each other whether they are married or not, to come along to our service. We have experience working with and supporting every kind of couple.

We know that some couples are coming to us as parents too and we know that brings additional complexity that needs to come into the conversation too. All our couple therapists are trained to work with ANY COUPLE that wishes to address conflict and communication issues, breaches of trust and safety within the relationship, and sex and intimacy issues to name a few of the common reasons for entering into therapy together.

For any couple coming to therapy for the first time, it can be quite daunting – we understand this.

Our hope for you reading this post is that it will ease some of your concerns about couples counselling before you start. We want to give you more of an idea of what to expect from couples counselling and to understand why it can be useful and helpful to attend.

In the first appointment, the therapist will be warm and welcoming. There are some standard questions the therapist will ask which we find helps each member of the couple to relax and know their concerns are being heard and are being framed in a way that aids communication within the room.

You both will be invited to speak and take turns answering the questions. This sets the dynamic for future sessions with each person listening and responding to what is being said within the room. The questions cover the span of your relationship to date and focus on hearing the individual within the couple.

Did you just say “Homework?!”

Active engagement in couples therapy is the single key to success. Your therapist will from session to session ask that you both take part in activities that are chosen to address the issues or concerns explored within the sessions. Keeping an open mind and choosing to participate will lead to an improvement in the overall relationship issues.

A breakdown of trust can be the single reason for attending sessions. This can lead to frustration, withdrawal, and resentment. The quickest way to a new way of being is to work hard on the exercises.

Change

Ultimately, what you both are trying to achieve is to bring about a change in the relationship, to allow it to grow in the ways you have changed as a couple. Your therapist wants this too. Committing to ongoing sessions is a challenge, doing the work is a challenge. If you both consider this worth doing, then get in touch with us today.

Below are just some of the reasons that couples seek counselling for their relationship:

· Communication

· Trust issues

· Distance around emotional connection

· Parenting styles

· Conflicts

· Goals for each person have changed over time

· Cultural differences

· Mental health issues

· Extended family or friends and how this impacts the couple

· Financial stress

· Sex and Intimacy

If you would like to avail of couples counselling, you can book a session with us now by calling 01 611719, or by emailing [email protected]

For more details, visit our Service Page for Relationship Counselling