Couples therapy offers an opportunity to strengthen communication, conflict resolution skills, and the emotional bond between partners.
It can also be where partners learn how to work toward shared goals together. A renowned doctor notes that he will often stretch his couples therapy clients to consider how they both can prosper in mutually beneficial ways. “There’s got to be a desire for your partner’s dreams to come true as well as your own,” he explains.
Relationship therapy has also been found to be an effective treatment for a wide range of relationship woes, including infidelity and differences in sexual preferences. Couples therapy can also be helpful for a pair that is choosing to break up, but in a “healthy” way so they can navigate a thoughtful ending to their time together.
Moreover, evidence suggests couples therapy can be highly effective at improving individual emotional and physical health outcomes as well . According to recent research, couples therapy can provide the same level of relief to symptoms of depression and chronic pain as individual therapy.
Research shows those who receive couples therapy are often “better off” after ending therapy than 70%-80% of people who go without any kind of mental health treatment. However, clinical trials tend to report higher efficacy of couples therapy than what is observed in typical practice settings, possibly due to varied treatment modalities or the diverse characteristics of the relationships treated.
Nevertheless, results from the studies are promising, and tend to be consistent across types of couples therapy:
Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) can improve communication and conflict resolution skills, while lessening the “corrosive behaviors” that contribute to relational discord.
The Gottman method can improve “marital adjustment skills,” or the ability to maintain high levels of cooperation amid evolving circumstances.
Emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT) contributes to increased and sustained marital satisfaction
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