Experiencing relationship problems can sometimes leave a person feeling like there is nowhere to turn or no one to turn to. However, seeking the assistance of a relationship counselor will help you and your partner establish a new beginning to your relationship. Relationship counseling will help you understand your strengths as a couple, as well as your own strengths as an individual, to gain better insight into your relationship. Couples that seek relationship counseling should be proud of themselves for making the effort to repair their relationship together. In counseling sessions, you’ll learn communication and problem-solving skills and your counselor will help you and your partner apply them in your relationship. Before long, after putting in the required effort and determination, you’ll both enjoy the fruits of your labor in a happy, stable relationship.

There are many different models of couples’ therapy and our relationship counselors are trained in multiple models and methods. We take the most effective tools from each model to best serve our clients, based on their unique needs.

Below are some common types of couples’ therapy:

– The Gottman Method
– Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
– Discernment counseling
– Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)
– Mago relationship therapy
– Narrative therapy
– Solution-focused therapy

EFT, for example, has a 75% success rate. The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists reports an overall success rate of 98% using the above methods. The success of couples’ therapy is a contributing factor in a decreasing divorce rate in the United States. Today, relationship counseling can indeed save and strengthen a marriage.

A very common reason couples seek guidance from a relationship counselor is their need for help in overcoming a major breach of trust. Relationship counseling, also called couples therapy or couples’ counseling, is actually a type of psychotherapy. Counseling allows couples of all types to recognize, explore, and resolve conflicts in order to improve their relationships and interactions with their significant other.

Below are a few telltale signs you may need to visit one of our relationship counselors:

– You have become indifferent toward one another
– It seems all communication is negative
– You or your partner lie or keeps secrets from the other person
– Lack of intimacy
– You see each other as the antagonist
– One of you has been unfaithful

Most of us have the idea that couples counseling is pretty straightforward. But is it? A typical story most of us imagine is a couple having problems so they make an appointment with a relationship counselor to fix their problem, much like you see in the movies and on TV. You see a couple sitting as far apart as possible on either side of a sofa as they explain to the marriage counselor what they don’t like about one another. The counselor listens patiently and intently and then offers some miraculous advice. But it’s not as easy as that. Marriage is hard work, and getting to the point of agreeing to see a counselor is a major step. Successful couples counseling requires full-on participation from both parties, a willingness to be honest and understanding, and a commitment from both partners to achieve the optimal results they both desire.

During your first session with a relationship counselor at Best Fit Counseling and Psychiatry, you should expect to talk about the history of the distress in your relationship. Your counselor will want to know the primary issues that you both are experiencing and what triggers most of the stress in your relationship. Best Fit Counseling and Psychiatry is here to help you keep and cherish your relationship. If you are considering couples counseling, then we encourage you to contact us through our website to book an appointment today. We serve patients anywhere in Michigan and our corporate offices are in Ann Arbor MI and surrounding areas including Pittsfield Charter TWP MI, Ypsilanti MI, Saline MI, Dexter MI and Scio TWP MI.