The Importance of Couples Counselling

You probably already know how important your relationship is, but do you know how couples counselling can make it better? Ottawa couples counselling is not just for couples who are experiencing a rough patch – it’s for every couple. Both together and individually – if you haven’t already – you are going to experience difficult situations. Knowing how to support each other through them while having your own needs met is incredibly important. At Manotick Marriage we specialize in counselling that strengthen and solidify relationships.

Couples therapy, sometimes also referred to as marriage counselling is designed for individuals in a romantic relationship. The purpose of couples counselling is to address pre-existing situations and prepare you for future stressors as they arise.

Where Can Couples Counselling Help?

Couples Counselling can help strengthen and repair your relationship during a wide variety of situations. For example: when one or both partners experience mood or anxiety disorders, difficulty controlling anger, infidelity, establishing a parenting routine following a separation, arriving at a parenting style, or when one or both partner struggles with alcohol abuse, substance abuse, or gambling.

The Five Principles of Couples Therapy

According to this article by Psychology Today, there are five basic principles that dictate the effectiveness of couples therapy, and they work both equally well with a behavioural or emotional approach. The first principle is changing the outlook on the relationship. Within any relationship, whether professional, platonic or romantic, it can be difficult to gain an outside perspective. Couples counselling helps you see your relationship objectively. The second principle is addressing dysfunctional behaviour. The way you behave towards and with your partner can positively or negatively affect your relationship. Your therapist will help you see how your actions are causing physical, economic and psychological harm and how to change them.

The third and fourth principles of couples counselling are decreasing emotional distance and increasing communication. For many, expressing emotions and communicating effectively go hand in hand. Instead of proper communication, couples fall into harmful, often silent expressions of their thoughts and feelings. Couples therapy will help you express yourself effectively while addressing individual needs for emotional validation. Lastly, couples counselling builds on your pre-existing strengths. Every relationship has its strengths. Instead of replacing them with new behaviour all together, couples counselling builds on them, acknowledging the aspects of your relationship that are positive!  

Couples Therapy Can Start Anytime

Within our society, there is a preconceived notion that couples therapy is only required by couples who need it. As a last ditch effort, so to speak. While this is the case for some couples it certainly does not describe the majority. Couples counselling is there to keep your relationship healthy. Just like an annual physical, you don’t have to be feeling a fever coming on to book an appointment. An outside perspective is incredibly helpful when you are part of a partnership. The qualified therapists and counsellors at Manotick Marriage are experienced in guiding couples through all stages of their relationship.