The philosopher Thomas Aquinas once stated, “The things that we love tell us what we are.” Our identity is also made up of who we love. The people we love become a part of us. But humans can be anxious, self-centered, moody, and imperfect. We all bring our own baggage to the table when we love someone else. So love isn’t always the flawless meeting of the minds that we’d like it to be. And when love doesn’t meet our expectations for harmony, we don’t always cope well.
That’s when the licensed couples therapists and marriage counselors at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY can help. Married couples and unmarried couples of all kinds can benefit from talking to an experienced, compassionate, expert facilitator. The licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) at Thriveworks can help partners improve their relationships and learn to connect on a deeper, more authentic level. These therapy sessions can save couples a lot of time and distress by identifying the roots of problems.
What Does a Marriage and Family Therapist Do?
A marriage and family therapist is a skilled mental health professional who might be a licensed professional counselor (LPC), a social worker, or even a clinical psychologist. Their job is to help couples strengthen their relationships and achieve their goals for intimacy. They can do this by facilitating productive conversations, sharing insights, offering psychoeducation about relationship dynamics, and teaching coping skills and communication skills.
But each couple is different and hence may desire different things out of marriage counseling sessions at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY. The first step is to clarify issues and goals, then work out a treatment plan. Marriage and family therapy is usually brief and solution-focused, lasting about 12 sessions or fewer.
Is Couples Counseling Effective?
The vast majority of couples who seek marriage counseling or couples therapy come away from the sessions feeling as if they’ve accomplished their goals. They feel satisfied in the emotional progress they’ve made. Couples come to therapy at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY with different objectives in mind, including the following:
- To establish healthy boundaries
- To manage anger and distress with positive coping skills
- To improve rapport and connection
- To improve physical intimacy
- To reduce conflicts
- To stop having the same argument
- To manage alcohol abuse or addiction
- To repair bonds after infidelity
- To process life transitions
- To cope with empty nest syndrome or midlife crises
- To work through infertility issues
- To deal with parenting or blended family issues
- To identify individual mental health conditions or concerns
- To work through trauma together
- To grieve and talk through a difficult loss together
Can Relationship Counseling Prevent Divorce?
The marriage counselors at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY don’t claim to be able to prevent divorce. They simply give couples the resources they need to utilize their existing strengths. They can help shed light on what partners feel from day to day, and help them communicate those feelings to each other effectively. Couples therapists might help clients explore and align the following elements of a relationship, which may prove critical to a marriage’s success:
- Individual values
- Underlying beliefs and expectations
- Financial goals
- Communication styles
- Attachment styles
- Mental health conditions
- Coping strategies
- Family backgrounds
- Sexual intimacy
- Household management
What Are the Best Treatments for Relationship Issues?
Every licensed counselor or therapist at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY will personalize a treatment plan around a couple’s real life concerns and goals. They may use a variety of approaches to help romantic partners be successful. For example, the following therapy modalities can be used in in-person or online therapy:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Person-centered therapy
- Strength-based therapy
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)
- Trauma focused CBT (TFCBT)
- Motivational interviewing
- Gottman method (pioneered by John Gottman)
- Collaborative couples therapies
In addition, a couples therapist may identify additional approaches that could benefit individuals in the relationship, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse counseling.
Enhance Connection with Couples Therapy at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY
If you and your partner are experiencing complex, difficult, or distressing issues, the licensed marriage counselors and couples therapists at Thriveworks in Buffalo, NY can help you find clarity. They can meet with new clients quickly, usually within 24-48 hours of their initial call. Full sessions can take place in-person at the modern office in Buffalo, or via online counseling from the comfort of your own home. And Thriveworks providers accept most major forms of health insurance coverage, which can help remove financial stress.
Relationships are tough, but they can bring out the best of us when we have support and guidance. Sometimes all it takes is a nonjudgmental third party to show us the way. Call the Thriveworks office today to get matched to the qualified couples counselor who can help you and your spouse reconnect and understand each other. We look forward to hearing from you!
