Marital Therapy
The relationships with one's spouse and family members are among the most important in our lives. These are, however, also the relationships in which we experience the most conflict. It is estimated that conflict occurs weekly in most "normal" marriages and daily in marriages in distress.
Whether you are looking to increase your skills in conflict resolution, help your relationship to grow, to increase harmony, to enhance each partner's personal satisfaction, or are seeking to resolve long-term conflicts, marital therapy can be useful.
How do I know if we need marital therapy?
While the reasons people seek marital therapy are as varied as couples are, in general it is a good idea to seek marital therapy if conflicts are ongoing and the couple does not know how to change the situation. In addition, if most of your interaction with your spouse is hostile, or if you find that you are not able to relate to your partner with love and understanding, or if you simply want to improve the quality of your marital relationship, you will find marital therapy useful.
What happens in marital therapy?
In marital therapy first an assessment is completed by the therapist. During this evaluation, the therapist will talk to both spouses and may often ask to meet with each spouse individually. The goal of the evaluation phase of marital therapy is to identify what, if any, are the conflicts in the relationship and to identify a treatment plan. The therapist will generally explore the history of the marriage and of each individual.
After the assessment, the treatment plan is implemented. The actual therapy will vary depending on the treatment plan. In most cases the couple will meet together with the therapist and discuss strategies, conflicts, and skills needed to resolve conflicts.
Often homework assignments will be given to the couple to continue the work of the sessions outside of the psychologist's office.
How long will it take?
The length of time that marital therapy takes depends primarily on the couple and their goals. Some couples can be helped immensely by one or two visits, but for other couples marital therapy may be an ongoing process. It is important to ask about length of treatment. Many couples contract for a particular length of time and then evaluate their progress with the therapist before contracting for more sessions.
What about confidentiality?
Confidentiality is central to any form of therapy. No information about the treatment will be released without the written consent of the parties. It is important to discuss confidentiality with the therapist prior to treatment. Any exceptions to this confidentiality, such as might be required by law should be discussed.
Will marital therapy save my marriage?
Some couples only seek marital therapy after they have reached the point of no return. That is, they are both so angry and hurt that they are unwilling to open up and make the necessary effort for successful therapy. For some couples successful therapy may culminate in a more amicable divorce. In many circumstances, marital therapy can save a marriage that is moving towards divorce.
Whether you are looking to increase your skills in conflict resolution, help your relationship to grow, to increase harmony, to enhance each partner's personal satisfaction, or are seeking to resolve long-term conflicts, marital therapy can be useful.
How do I know if we need marital therapy?
While the reasons people seek marital therapy are as varied as couples are, in general it is a good idea to seek marital therapy if conflicts are ongoing and the couple does not know how to change the situation. In addition, if most of your interaction with your spouse is hostile, or if you find that you are not able to relate to your partner with love and understanding, or if you simply want to improve the quality of your marital relationship, you will find marital therapy useful.
What happens in marital therapy?
In marital therapy first an assessment is completed by the therapist. During this evaluation, the therapist will talk to both spouses and may often ask to meet with each spouse individually. The goal of the evaluation phase of marital therapy is to identify what, if any, are the conflicts in the relationship and to identify a treatment plan. The therapist will generally explore the history of the marriage and of each individual.
After the assessment, the treatment plan is implemented. The actual therapy will vary depending on the treatment plan. In most cases the couple will meet together with the therapist and discuss strategies, conflicts, and skills needed to resolve conflicts.
Often homework assignments will be given to the couple to continue the work of the sessions outside of the psychologist's office.
How long will it take?
The length of time that marital therapy takes depends primarily on the couple and their goals. Some couples can be helped immensely by one or two visits, but for other couples marital therapy may be an ongoing process. It is important to ask about length of treatment. Many couples contract for a particular length of time and then evaluate their progress with the therapist before contracting for more sessions.
What about confidentiality?
Confidentiality is central to any form of therapy. No information about the treatment will be released without the written consent of the parties. It is important to discuss confidentiality with the therapist prior to treatment. Any exceptions to this confidentiality, such as might be required by law should be discussed.
Will marital therapy save my marriage?
Some couples only seek marital therapy after they have reached the point of no return. That is, they are both so angry and hurt that they are unwilling to open up and make the necessary effort for successful therapy. For some couples successful therapy may culminate in a more amicable divorce. In many circumstances, marital therapy can save a marriage that is moving towards divorce.