Therapy for Couples
When should couples start counseling?
Ask yourself—
Do you feel isolated or disconnected from your partner?
Are you or your partner struggling to communicate needs or desires?
Does your relationship lack stability? Does it feel unsafe?
If you answered yes to any of the above, chances are your relationship can benefit from marriage counseling in Bergen County. Working with a professional can help address relationship issues as well as strengthen your bond.
Signs you should go to therapy for couples in Bergen County:
- One or both partners feels distant or lacks emotion.
- Disrespect or lack of acknowledgment for one another’s feelings.
- Frequent fighting or a severe breach of trust.
- Either partner is unwilling to compromise on joint issues.
- Your relationship lacks intimacy.
When it comes down to it, there is no barrier of entry for couples therapy in Bergen County, NJ. If you have a sense that something is wrong or could be better, do not hesitate to give the professional relationship therapists at Beautiful Journey Counseling® a call.
As human beings, our connections with others drive our motivations and our willingness to take risks. Engaging in a secure relationship can have numerous positive implications in all aspects of your life. For example, nearly two-thirds of couples attending marriage, couple, or family therapy report improvements in their overall physical health, with most of them also indicating better functioning at work. Marriage counseling in Bergen County, NJ, does more than save relationships; it also improves your general well-being.
How long do the benefits of couples therapy last?
Improvements attained during therapy for couples in Bergen County, NJ, tend to hold firm for up to 5 years after completing treatment. Though research shows that most treatments have diminishing effects over long periods of time, that does not mean that marriage counseling in Bergen County is not worth it. On the contrary, many of the skills learned during couples therapy are retained permanently and allow you to address future problems on your own more effectively.
If you or your partner falls back on old habits, you can always reschedule an appointment at Beautiful Journey Counseling® for a refresher. And even if your relationship does not have major issues, it can be beneficial to reserve a time where your relationship is the number one priority. For this reason, some couples prefer ongoing marriage counseling in Bergen County, NJ.
“The effectiveness rates of therapy for couples are comparable to the effectiveness rates of individual therapies and vastly superior to control groups not receiving treatment.”
- Jay L. Lebow
Does couples counseling really work?
You may be hesitant to seek marriage counseling in Bergen County if you have heard that it does not work or might even make things worse. Fortunately, such views are myths based on outdated statistics. The efficacy of couples therapy has come a long way in the past few decades, and evidence-based modalities like behavioral couples therapy (BCT) and emotionally focused therapy (EFT) are proven to work.
But you do not have to take our word for it. Studies show that 3 out of 4 couples emerge much happier in their relationship. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 98% of clients who see a marriage and family therapist report receiving good or excellent service. Moreover, the American Psychological Association confirms that couples therapy utilizing EFT is roughly 75% effective.
How long does couples therapy take to work?
How long couples therapy or marriage counseling in Bergen County takes truly depends on the couple in question and the severity of their relationship problems. Some couples only need minimal support in a collaborative and safe environment to get the ball rolling. Others require more intensive guidance and time to build a solid foundation for the healing process. For instance, couples therapy in Bergen County, NJ, frequently takes longer when trust has been compromised and must be rebuilt.
That being said, marriage counseling in Bergen is generally considered short-term therapy, lasting an average of 12 sessions. However, 87.9% of cases are solved within 50 sessions, with nearly 65.6% solved within 20 sessions.
Many factors affect how long couples therapy takes to work, but one of the most impactful—and within your control—is split alliance. If both partners are not equally invested in the therapy process or neglect to put in the effort, results can take much longer and won’t be as effective or long-lasting.
Can a therapist see a couple individually?
Research shows that individual mental health and relationship health are interconnected. For example, according to studies, marital distress is associated with broad classifications of anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders. In other words, the problems that you have as an individual will affect your relationships whether you realize it or not.
On the flip side, improving the self can strengthen your relationships. Likewise, nurturing your relationship also benefits your individual health.
Attending both individual and couples therapy in Bergen County can enhance your progress on both fronts.Moreover, sometimes people have sensitive issues or past trauma that they want to work through with a therapist one on one.
In order to avoid perceived bias, a counselor will often refer an individual to another professional while continuing to work with the couple cooperatively.
