Every now and then couples can fall into a rut, repeating the same arguments and frustrations over and over without resolution. Other couples don’t fight at all and just resign themselves to living in unhappiness. Couples therapy or marriage counseling can be the solution.

Couples enter therapy for a variety of reasons. Some are struggling to raise their children, or they have intimacy issues, or one or both partners have a mental health condition.

Therapy can be a valuable tool for getting to the root of each person’s individual issues and helping them work on problems they have with one another.

A skilled therapist will take some time to get to know each partner. It is important that both people in a relationship have some insight into the stressors and other factors that shape their mood and behavior. Gaining this type of self-knowledge is vital. Once people understand the issues that nudge the way they feel, they can take steps to change things in their power that cause harm and work toward accepting the factors outside their control.

For example, people can’t control how their partner treated them in the past or how other people perceive them. But people can control whether to be honest with their partner and decide to focus on positive things when life feels overwhelming.

Once each person understands what motivates and drives them, they can begin to work on their relationship. An experienced counselor can teach people conflict resolution skills to solve their present issues and set them up to have productive conversations when they disagree in the future.

Therapy can also help people set relationship goals. These might include commitments to spend time together participating in activities both partners enjoy. Couples can also schedule time to check in with each other and ask if either partner needs the other’s help or support.

Each couple is different, though a counselor can help individuals choose realistic goals that can help restore a relationship that has been damaged by unhappiness, discord, or infidelity.

As with any therapy, it is important to treat clients in couples therapy or marriage counseling holistically. While a participant may want to focus on the relationship, it is also beneficial to discuss mental health issues.

If one or both partners struggles with a mental or emotional disorder, the MindSol Wellness Center is able to provide compassionate care. We can also provide counseling for people who need to learn parenting skills or feel the sting of unresolved issues with other relatives. Call our office today at (941) 256-3725 to learn more about therapy in Sarasota, FL.