Couples psychotherapists work with the relationship between the couple. The exploration of the dynamics that the couple bring is key to their work. Relationships have a tendency to move from initial romantic love into a power struggle where the issues of the individuals in the couple come into conflict. The therapeutic work is to improve communication and understanding between the couple so that they find a way to negotiate and ideally resolve their differences.
Couples therapists use their skills, training and experience to build trust and work with the sensitive and intimate issues that the couple bring to the therapeutic encounter. It can be a more directive experience than 1-1 psychotherapy and sometimes homework and exercises are set to ensure the work continues into the couple’s daily lives.
The environment of neutral, confidential safety can transform conflict into closeness and lead to change in the way the couple relate with the benefit of re-romanticising the relationship.
Issues that might bring a couple to therapy might be infidelity, new parenthood, sexual difficulties, conflict and anger, fertility issues, separation, step-parenting/blending families, financial difficulties/money worries as just a few examples.