Couples counseling is a type of psychotherapy where a trained mental health clinician helps two people involved in a romantic relationship who are experiencing distress.
Reasons for distress can include:
- poor communication skills
- incompatibility
- domestic violence
- substance abuse
- depression
- anxiety
- major mental health disorders such as schizophrenia
The focus of couples counseling is to identify the presence of dissatisfaction and distress in the relationship, and to devise and implement a treatment plan with objectives designed to improve or alleviate the symptoms and restore the relationship to a better and healthier level of functioning.
Couples counseling helps couples gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict, and improve relationship satisfaction. Additionally, through couples counseling, couples learn how to communicate more effectively, have a better understanding of their partners and become more cohesive.