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Relationship
Therapy
Help
Is On The Way
Relationship therapy is about using specific methods to change the way
people think and act.
It’s a very active process and its goal
is to
help a person or people to find ways and means of healing themselves.
For many people, the terms relationship therapy and
relationship counseling are interchangeable.
There is, however, a
subtle
difference. Relationship
counseling is less of an active process. Counseling is about giving
someone guidance and advice.
It’s about communicating thoughts and
feelings; being given options; throwing around ideas.
Let's use the example of a seeing a
physiotherapy. If you had a problem with your back and went to a
therapist,
he or she would manipulate my joints and show what exercises you could
do
at home to improve posture and strengthen back
muscles.
If you went
to a counselor, he or she may sit you down and explain to me
what was wrong with your back and explore the options of
healing
the back – perhaps through therapy, perhaps using homeopathic remedies,
surgery or even hypnotherapy.
But what does
relationship therapy actually involve?
- Effective
relationship therapy involves identifying the problem areas in the
relationship as well as personal individual problems.
- A therapist may
identify different unhealthy behavior patterns in each partner and will
treat them individually before tackling problematic issues in the
relationship.
- Some people blame their partners
when there are problems in a relationship, neglecting to see their own
faults. Others blame themselves unnecessarily.
- This is often the case
in abusive
relationships. Therapy puts the issue of individual blame in
perspective.
- It may be the case that as
individuals become more aware of their own problems, relationship
issues are solved automatically without having to be
explicitly
addressed.
Relationship therapists, like doctors
and lawyers, are, or should be, objective and discreet.
Choosing a therapist
should be like choosing a jury in a court trial. Both parties should be
happy with the therapist.
A good relationship
therapist should:
- Be qualified
and competent
- Have a positive and friendly disposition
- Be open about their perception of the problem
- Be able to offer
constructive feedback
- Be able to develop
goals for and with a couple
Relationship counseling and therapy works on thoughts and
behavior as well as feelings. Therapists
will take into account physical disorders (e.g., depression), cultural
influences and clients’ history.
At least one therapy session, probably
the first, will involve detailed information gathering by the
therapist.
Don’t consider this a waste of time and money, complaining
that you never got to talk about your issues.
Understanding your
background is essential for a therapist to be effective in counseling
you.
For
additional
relationship
help
advice, such as the relationship
therapy section here, please visit the related
topics: online
life coach, relationship
counseling, troubled
relationship, marriage
help, relationship
coach, online relationship
advice and divorce
advice.
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