Intensive Couples Therapy: When to Seek More Help
There’s a common misconception that you shouldn’t attend couples therapy unless there’s a problem in your relationship. In reality, couples therapy can be beneficial for even the healthiest of relationships. In fact, it’s when couples wait until there’s a serious problem that the relationship can greatly suffer.
When it gets to that point, traditional couples therapy might not be enough.
Maybe you’re facing a crisis in your relationship. Maybe there are major transitions causing issues, or you can’t seem to stop fighting. If those issues sound familiar, traditional therapy might not be the solution right now.
If you’ve never considered intensive couples therapy, now could be the time. Still on the fence? Let’s take a closer look at when you should seek more help.
Damaging Conflicts
The healthiest couples in the world argue. However, they know how to do it in such a way that it can actually strengthen their relationship, rather than tearing it down. If you’ve found that the conflicts in your relationship are getting worse, consider it a red flag. If those conflicts are becoming physically or emotionally damaging, it’s time to seek out help right away.
You should also consider the source of the conflicts. If your relationship is going through a crisis, for example, is it causing you to fight more? That might include things like addiction, infidelity, or even the idea of separation. All of these issues warrant intensive couples therapy if your desire is to attempt a restoration.
Stuck in a Cycle
Sometimes, the negative patterns in your relationship can become so harmful that they seem impossible to escape on your own. Unhealthy communication habits, for example, can escalate quickly and create problems so deep that they require intensive help to work through.
These patterns and habits can cause you to feel stuck and resentful of your partner and your relationship. Unfortunately, that mindset only fuels the fire and tends to make the habits harder to break on your own.
Loss of Intimacy
Maybe you’re going through a relationship crisis without even realizing it. However, there are likely signs—including a lack of intimacy.
If you find that you and your partner are struggling with physical or emotional intimacy, it usually means there are issues going on beneath the surface. Maybe you’ve both tried to sweep them under the rug, but if you don’t bring them forward, the intimacy issues will become worse. Intimacy isn’t everything in a relationship, but it’s an important aspect when it comes to feeling a deep and close connection and fostering trust.
Traditional Therapy Is Stalling
Some people seek out intensive couples therapy because the traditional modality isn’t working the way they expected. While regular couples counseling is often highly effective, it’s not going to give you the same results when you’re in a crisis situation or when your relationship seems to be hanging on by a thread.
If you feel like traditional therapy has stalled or you’re not making the progress you want, consider changing to a more intensive program. Intensive couples therapy is often more concentrated in its approach. However, it’s important for you and your partner to prepare yourself. As the name suggests, it can be an intense time of bringing emotions and hard truths to the forefront.
It can also help you navigate your relationship in healthier, more effective ways.
If you think your relationship needs more help to work through the issues you’re facing, don’t hesitate to reach out today. Intensive couples therapy could be exactly what you and your partner need to start your healing journey together, and I'm here to walk with you.