Five (5) Tips For Making Couples Therapy Work

The therapeutic relationship is a partnership between the therapist and the client(s). As in any partnership, there are roles that each partner must play in order for the partnership to work and results to be attained. While it is much easier to blame it on the therapist when “therapy did not work”, that is not always the reason. I will admit that not every therapist is great. There will be times when the therapist’s style does not work for a particular client. I’ve been known to let out a smile or two when people told me how they thought their therapist was supposed to be seeing a therapist instead of being one. I will express compassion when someone shares about a bad therapy experience. What many people don’t want to hear is that it is not always the therapist’s doing that kept them from benefiting form therapy. Very often, when therapy did not work it was because of something that the client did or failed to do. These five tips will help your prevent some of the more common hindrances to therapeutic success.

1. Set treatment goals with your therapist that you and your partner agree on
2. Show up with an open mind and forgiving heart
3. Follow through with homework and activities
4. Make counseling a priority not an after thought
5. Stick it through