Couples therapy works by helping couples identify and better navigate their unique challenges. Following an initial assessment of the couple in terms of strengths and needs, the therapist would then discuss their therapeutic goals and any possible approaches or ways of working together as therapist and couple.
Couples attend sessions together, whether they meet in person or by video. In addition to regular couples therapy sessions, each partner may also be asked to attend a few individual sessions to supplement their progress. This will allow their counselor to get to know each individual better, assess each of their personal needs, and develop the very best treatment plan moving forward.
The writer Maya Angelou once stated, “My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and the courage to accept the love in return.” For general life goals, these are pretty great. They touch on most of the pillars of good mental health: resilience, productivity, and community.
It’s this last one that we’re concerned with here: our ability to connect to other people. One of the most complex arenas where this plays out is in intimate relationships. Intimate relationships can be challenging—even exhausting—because they see us at our most vulnerable. Thus they can open us up to more hurt, more distress, and more outright agony. But intimate relationships can also provide incredible value. When they’re working at optimal levels, they can be the most rewarding thing in the world.
Couples therapy and marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Rio Rancho, NM can help keep intimate relationships healthy and enriching. You may think that relationship counseling isn’t for you and your spouse. You may think that you can survive without it. And that may be true, but think of all the time and pain you and your partner might save yourselves by talking to an expert who has the professional insights to help you achieve your relationship goals.
Is Marriage Counseling Really Effective?
Marriage counseling at Thriveworks in Rio Rancho, NM has an incredibly high satisfaction rate because it’s solution-focused treatment based around each partner’s objectives. A licensed marriage and therapist (LMFT) inquires first and foremost what each partner wants to achieve in the counseling sessions. Then they can get started realizing those goals. Some common requests that clients have when they begin relationship therapy are the following:
- To feel more loved.
- To feel more appreciated.
- To model a healthier relationship for children.
- To feel like friends again.
- To reignite a spark.
- To have more physical intimacy.
- To reduce tension and conflict.
- To stop repeating the same argument over and over again without advancing.
- To create healthier boundaries.
- To express needs and desires.
- To heal after an affair.
- To cope with empty nest syndrome.
- To cope with someone’s mental health or behavioral issue like substance abuse or depression.
- To safely address some concerns before marriage (in the case of premarital counseling).
- To process trauma.
- To cope together with the loss of a loved one.
Who Sees Couples Counselors?
The licensed couples therapists and marriage counselors at Thriveworks in Rio Rancho, NM see every kind of couple under the sun. More and more couples are seeking professional support due to reduced stigma surrounding counseling. Many celebrity couples have spoken out about how much marriage therapy has helped maintain the health of their relationships. For example:
- Dax Shephard and Kristen Bell
- John Legend and Chrissy Teigen
- Pink and Carey Hart
- Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade
As mentioned above, couples don’t need to be falling apart in order to seek marital counseling. Licensed professionals who excel at working with couples might enhance or reinforce existing strategies regarding:
- Communication skills
- Mutual trust
- Displays of affection
- Emotion management
- Addiction or substance abuse issues
- Sexual cycles
How to Find a Good Couples Therapist or Marriage Counselor
When you and your partner are ready to commit to couples counseling as a sign of strength, there are a few basic criteria you should consider:
- The counselor should be fully licensed in New Mexico. All Thriveworks mental health providers are fully licensed, nationwide.
- The therapist should be affordable. Thriveworks marriage and family therapists in Rio Rancho, NM accept most major health insurance plans and offer reasonable self-pay rates.
- The therapist should be able to hold convenient and comfortable sessions. Thriveworks offers both online therapy as well as in-person therapy, making it easier to meet clients in whatever way is best for them.
- The therapist should have experience with treating your specific issue. For example, at Thriveworks, providers might have worked with interracial, LGBTQ, Christian, and other kinds of couples.
Thriveworks couples therapists use a variety of evidence-based methods including emotionally focused therapy and the Gottman method.
Rekindle Your Love with Marriage Counseling at Thriveworks in Rio Rancho, NM
When you call the Thriveworks office in Rio Rancho, NM, a staff member can help match you to an exceptional provider right away. You can also browse provider profiles online and book your appointment on the website. Most clients can meet with their chosen provider within 24-48 hours of booking.
As an added benefit, Thriveworks clients can access their top-rated provider between sessions by email or phone. This means that one’s therapist is never far away when you need them.
Show your spouse how much you love them by bringing up couples counseling today. When you decide to go for it, choose the best providers: those at Thriveworks in Rio Rancho, NM.
