It has been suggested that by the time couples make the decision to go to therapy, their relationship may be too far gone. Some of us do not believe that. We believe that any relationship can be saved as long as both parties are willing to save it. In such cases, couples’ therapy is just the starting point. Couples build on what they learn in therapy sessions to slowly rebuild over time.
Time really is the key, according to the experts at Relationships & More, a counseling center located in Westchester County, New York. As trained therapists and counselors, they have seen first-hand just how important time is to healing broken relationships.
When couples seek relationship therapy together, they at least recognize that something is wrong. If they are willing to take what they learn in counseling and put it into practice, their relationship can probably be saved. There are other things couples can do to enhance therapy between sessions, thus increasing the chances of success. Here are five of them:
1. Disconnect from Technology
The modern world thrives on digital technology. Unfortunately, the same technology that powers our lives inhibits our ability to relate to one another. One of the most important enhancements to couples’ therapy is disconnecting from technology for a certain amount of time every day. Couples can use that time to reconnect with one another.
Reconnecting isn’t easy. It is also not something that is going to happen in short order. It takes time to cleanse oneself of technology and get back to real, face-to-face relationships. Yet putting in the time and effort is well worth it.
2. Share Team-Building Exercises
Companies rely on team building to create more cohesive relationships between coworkers. That same principle can be applied to personal relationships. Couples can take on projects that require them to work together – like planning and catering a family party, for example.
Another option is to start running together with a goal of running an upcoming 5K and finishing it together. Truth be told, the options are limitless.
3. Engage in Practice Opportunities
From time to time, church groups and other organizations offer opportunities for couples to practice what they have learned in counseling. Such opportunities can take the form of single-day workshops or weekend retreats. Even getting away for a long weekend with friends offers opportunities to practice newly learned skills. The point is this: practice makes perfect.
4. Try New Things
A big part of repairing a broken relationship is finding new connection points. A good way to do that is to try new things. Couples can take up a new hobby, learn a new skill, take advantage of a new volunteer opportunity, etc. The point is to look for things that couples can do in tandem. Those things become connection points through which a relationship can be rekindled.
Couples naturally do this when the relationships are brand-new. The goal of this particular exercise is to get back to that point by starting over with new things.
5. Find Ways to Encourage
Couples in crisis find it really easy to criticize one another and tear each other down. Yet they can enhance their couples’ therapy by doing just the opposite: finding ways to encourage and build up. Being positive absolutely requires effort. When that effort is applied to rebuilding a broken relationship, it almost always pays off.
Couples’ therapy is an excellent tool for getting a relationship back on track. But enhancing therapy with other things makes what is learned in counseling sessions truly applicable. That is where couples’ therapy truly succeeds.