What to Expect in Couples Counseling (2023)

Introduction

What to Expect in Couples Counseling.

In this video we will be covering what to expect in couples counseling.

If you are new to the channel, welcome! Super happy to have you here! :)

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In this video we will be reviewing 4 things to expect in couples counseling.

If you are looking into starting couples counseling, these 4 things may be helpful to know and understand what to expect before getting started with couples counseling.

Here are some recommended books for helpful communication skills and relationship building:

The 5 Love Languages:
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The 5 Love Languages Singles Edition:
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Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love:
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AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER: This video description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission that does not affect the pricing of your item.

Take a look at our "Communication Skills" playlist:
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***If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or email me.***
Email: Gabriel@soaringfamiliescounseling.com
www.SoaringFamiliesCounseling.com

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***DISCLAIMER***
Information provided on this channel is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice and is not intended to replace the services of a therapist, physician, or other qualified professional, nor does it constitute a therapist-client, physician, or quasi-physician relationship. You should not use information on this channel or the information on links from or featured on this channel (or any part thereof) to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified provider. If you are having urgent mental health needs or concerns, including thoughts of death or suicide, please call 911, the Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255), or head to the nearest emergency room as needed. Please always seek the advice of a qualified provider regarding any questions related to treatment options and treatment needs.

Content

Hello, everyone in today's video we're going to talk about what to expect in couples counseling.

My name is gabriel arroyo and I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist located in southern california.

If you're new to the channel.

Welcome, I'm super happy to have you here be sure to subscribe, to stay up to date with our weekly videos on mental health, related topics and helpful coping skills free to apply in your own everyday lives.

So in today's video we're talking about what to expect in couples counseling.

So the first thing that I recommend is essentially knowing what you are going to couples counseling for so the first time that I ever talk to a client either with the initial phone call or the initial session.

I ask right out the gate.

What is it that we're doing here, and I want to make sure that all parties involved are working on the same goal? So that is something you could expect in treatment with couples therapy is.

Is we want to help you with whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish so a couple could be working on improving the relationship, improving communication being proactive in the relationship dynamics or even breaking up or splitting apart in a healthy way.

So you could expect those kind of questions to be asked by your therapist and trying to find out what it is that we are here to help you with so have that in mind with your partner, so that way, we're all on the same page and we're ready to roll the most important thing to expect and understand about couples.

Counseling is we're not really advising you one way or the other we're essentially facilitating and helping you to build on the skills that you need to accomplish your goals.

So I have a lot of couples that come in they're like yeah.

You know like you, can see that we're arguing a lot.

Should we break up and I just put my hands up.

I'm like whoa.

Like I don't know you tell me like.

What's your goal, your goal was to improve the relationship.

So let's work on that.

So what you can expect from your therapist when you're working in couples counseling, is to facilitate skills just like any other form of therapy, we're trying to help you to accomplish your own individual goals, not necessarily to lead you in a direction of breaking up or repairing or whatever the case may be, so we're helping you to build on the skills that you are asking for to accomplish your goal.

So you could expect your marriage or couples counselor to be an objective party to help facilitate the direction to wherever it is that you're trying to go another thing to expect in couples.

Counseling is, what's called a no secrets policy now, most therapists, if not all therapists, have what's called a no secrets policy.

I practice this with all my couples and one of the first things that I tell them is I don't hold anybody's secrets and why I do this or why we all as therapists do.

This is because we don't want to create dynamics to where we're taking sides with anybody or we're holding information from the other partner.

So I tell my clients, if you tell me something in that initial phone call or if you're, if you're texting me or calling me about something, that's going on feelings, thoughts or concerns that you're having within your relationship, I'm expecting that to come out in treatment in front of your partner, because I want to make sure that we're all feeling uh that we're confident in treatment and we're feeling secure and that it is a safe environment to where we're all working on your guys's established goals.

So the no secrets policy and then finally, the last thing to expect- is you get what you put into it? So you get what you put into it as far as the work um? What I I usually tell my couples is I'm not building your relationship for you right that that's impossible.

I give you some skills and some tools, but that's about it.

It's up to you to do the work to accomplish your goal.

So what I highly recommend is whatever the exercises or recommendation or whatever it is that we're working on a treatment or you're working on a treatment with your own couple's counselor, follow it, and now I know that some of the things can feel a little silly and hokey.

I do the exercises too.

I take great pride in anything that I recommend I practice myself.

So when I'm working with couples- and I recommend a repeat after me- exercise or asking for clarification or asking for intention like, I know they feel uncomfortable, they feel awkward.

It's like who talks like this right, but I do I deal with my own partner, so I practice these skills and I know it feels uncomfortable and it feels awkward, but ultimately, it's helping us to improve communication improve on the skills in order to reach our goals.

So I highly recommend follow up with whatever the directives are or the exercises that your couple's, therapist or counselor is helping you with.

So once again, keep your goals in mind.

Remember about the no secrets, policy and work on the stuff, that's being recommended to you.

Speaking of recommendations below in the description, I have a bunch of books and materials that I personally use and recommend for my couples.

So take a look uh and if you have any other questions, please comment below I'll, get back to you as soon as possible and once again, if you're new to the channel be sure to subscribe, to stay up to date with our weekly videos on mental health, related topics and helpful coping skills free to apply in your own everyday lives.

Thank you.

You.