COUPLES COUNSELING
Strengthen Your Relationship with Couples Counseling
Romantic relationships are hard work. Like a car, they require regular maintenance to keep them running well. When a problem arises, it’s best to have it fixed right away to avoid further complications. While we can often evaluate and repair the basics ourselves, sometimes the help of a licensed professional can make a real difference. Psychologist Dr. Shannon Stepan is experienced working with couples to improve communication and restore harmony in their relationships.
Should You Consider Couples Counseling?
Couples counseling is beneficial for any kind of romantic relationship, including straight or gay relationships, interracial relationships, relationships with a large age gap, and relationships at any stage, including those dating, engaged, or married.
Couples counseling can resolve a current problem, prevent a flare-up of problems already addressed, or simply provide an assessment for a happy couple that is experiencing any number of issues, such as increased stress, anxiety, or job loss.
Common areas of concern addressed in couples counseling include issues with money, sex, parenting, infidelity, gambling, substance abuse, and emotional distance.
Couples Counseling with Psychologist Shannon Stepan
Couples counseling begins with some general questions regarding the history of the relationship, including a focus on each individual’s family-of-origin, cultural background, and values. The therapist will then assist the couple in identifying the issue that will be the focus of the treatment, establishing treatment goals, and developing organizational structure for treatment. Helping the couple gain insight into what created the problem and guiding them to an understanding of how their roles have contributed to the overall dysfunction is also the therapist’s focus.
While gaining insight is a crucial part of the counseling process, another important aspect is actually changing the behaviors causing the problem. This can be accomplished through role playing during the sessions, as well as “homework” assignments specifically applying the skills that the couple learned in therapy.
The majority of couples come away from counseling with a greater knowledge and understanding of their relationship patterns and with the necessary skills to effectively communicate and problem-solve with their partners.
Do I Need Couples Counseling?
Do you feel like you are constantly fight with your partner? Are you struggling to communicate? Are you dissatisfied with certain elements of your relationship? If your answer to any of those questions is yes, couples counseling can help get to the root of your issues, gain insight into yourself and your relationship, and take actionable steps to end patterns of fighting and conflict.
How Does Couples Counseling Work?
Couples counseling is a type of therapy that helps two people involved in a romantic relationship gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict, and improve relationship satisfaction by using a variety of therapeutic techniques, including solution-focused and change-oriented interventions.
What Issues Does Couples Counseling Address?
Whether your goal is to save your marriage, improve communication with your partner, or even end a long-time relationship on an amicable level, couples counseling can help. The most common issues addressed in couples counseling are parenting, money, sex, infidelity, gambling, emotional distance, and substance abuse.
Take The First Step Toward a Happier, Healthier Relationship
Tired of constantly arguing with your partner? Schedule a consultation with leading New York City couples therapist Shannon Stepan today.
