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COUPLES THERAPY

Couples Therapy​

At MBC, we believe in providing couples therapy that is centered around our clients’ unique needs and experiences. We utilize an approach that is collaborative and solution-focused, with the ultimate goal of helping couples build strong, healthy relationships.

Our approach is grounded in the belief that every couple has the potential to overcome challenges and develop stronger, more meaningful connections. As one of the leading providers of couples therapy in the Bay Area, we work with couples to identify the areas they are struggling with and develop personalized strategies to help them achieve their goals.

One of the key components of our approach to couples therapy is helping couples to communicate effectively. We believe that communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship, and we work with our clients to identify communication patterns that may be contributing to conflict or disconnection. Through skills-building exercises and guided discussions, we help couples learn to communicate more effectively and build deeper, more meaningful connections. Another important aspect of our approach to couples therapy is helping couples to develop a sense of shared purpose and meaning.
We believe that couples who share a common sense of purpose and meaning are better able to weather challenges and overcome obstacles. We work with couples to identify their shared values and goals, and develop strategies to help them work together to achieve them. Overall, our approach to couples therapy is designed to help couples build strong, healthy relationships that are grounded in effective communication, shared purpose and meaning, and a deep understanding of one another. We believe that by working collaboratively with our clients, we can help couples overcome challenges and build relationships that are resilient, meaningful, and fulfilling.

FAQ

The goal of couples therapy is to help couples improve their relationship, and in some cases, repair or improve their marriage. Couples therapy can play an important role in healing a relationship that doesn’t feel the way it’s supposed to. It can also be the first step toward admitting that there is a problem in the relationship that needs to be addressed. This form of structured communication therapy can help couples explore the root cause (or causes) of their conflict in a safe, neutral space, while simultaneously aiding them in improving their communication skills.

Therapy can be very beneficial, however, it’s only a successful mode of help if all members of the relationship are invested in it. Communication and work must be done on both ends to move towards a partnership that’s respectful, considerate, and trusting.

Couples Therapy has an extensive range of benefits for a relationship, including:
  • Access to a safe space for you and your partner that allows for open and honest conversation.
  • Better insight into your own feelings regarding your relationship.
  • Better self-awareness and personal growth as you come to understand your own needs.
  • Bettering communication skills as an individual and as a couple.
  • Gaining a deeper understanding of your relationship and the dynamic between you and your partner.
  • Getting access to an impartial professional that can help you navigate complicated emotional issues.
  • Help navigating relationship roadblocks that are preventing a happy and healthy partnership.
  • Improved intimacy and connection between you and your significant other.
  • Learning appropriate and effective coping skills for difficult situations that may arise in your relationship.
  • More insight into your partner’s mindset and personal needs
  • Restoring trust and open communication between you and your partner
It’s important to note that you don’t need to have relationship problems to seek out couples therapy. You can also use therapy as a way to continue growing and safeguarding a healthy relationship, ensuring that you have the tools and resources necessary to address issues if and when they arise. However, the most common concerns addressed in Couples Therapy include the following:
  • Navigating an infidelity/affair
  • Poor communication with your partner
  • The feeling of being bored or numb in your relationship
  • Partners having poor conflict resolution skills
  • Having the same argument or fight repeatedly
  • Feeling disconnected from your partner
  • Feeling like your physical and emotional needs are not being met
  • Navigating a big life event
  • Managing the transition into new parenthood
  • Navigating a potential divorce/breakup
  • Feeling too attached to one another
  • Past traumas showing up in your relationship
The primary goal of couples therapy is to increase your knowledge about yourself, your partner, and the ways in which you interact with each other. By using this knowledge, you can break toxic relationship patterns and focus on building new and healthier ones. To get the most out of couples therapy, you may find focussing on one or more of the following areas to be beneficial:
  • What do you want your lives to look like together
  • The kind of partner you want to be for your significant other.
  • Identifying the issues that are preventing you from being the kind of partner you want to be.
  • Learning the relationship skills necessary for effective communication
  • Navigating toxic co-dependency
  • The appropriate attitudes and skills necessary to work together as a team.
  • What you need from your partner in order to feel fulfilled and happy
Before heading off to your first couple’s counselling session, there are some tasks that you can perform to help the visit go as smoothly as possible. They are:
  • Filling out your paperwork honestly.
  • Check in with your partner about their expectations.
  • Give thought to what kind of partner you’d like to be.
  • Give yourself permission to feel your emotions.
  • Make an ‘assumptions list’. One of the first topics a therapist will usually broach in a couple’s session is whatassumptions you and your partner make about each other that negatively impact your relationship. This could be things like ‘my partner doesn’t care about my feelings or ‘my partner doesn’t find me attractive anymore’. Prep a Couples Therapy FAQs 4 list of assumptions before your first session. Then your therapist can help you identify why these assumptions exist and what can be done to challenge them.
The most important aspect of couple’s therapy is making sure that both partner’s are on board and committed to the process. Communication and effort has to be a 2-way street for the benefits of couple’s therapy to be reaped. So ensure it’s something that you and your partner are ready and willing to follow through when you’re contemplating therapy as an option.

The amount of time spent in a session depends on how long you book it and what appointment increments your therapist provides. Sessions typically last between 60 and 90 minutes, with initial appointments usually taking more time.

For couples therapy, it’s often recommended that your first three appointments are longer (at least 90 minutes to two hours) as there is often more to unpack at the start of counseling.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how long you should be in couples therapy. It depends on the nature of the issues you’re looking to address, the work that you both put into treatment, and the emotional and mental healing process.

For some couples, it can take years of therapy to work through their issues. For others, they only need a few sessions to give them clarity on a certain point of contention.

One a week sessions are typically recommended, especially during the early stages of treatment. This allows both partners to learn new skills, implement them, and then check it with a professional to discuss the results and troubleshoot any issues that arise. However, some couples may prefer appointments that are biweekly or even monthly depending on their own unique needs.

No matter what your situation, or the nature of what you’re looking to resolve, your therapist will help come up with a schedule that works for both you and your partner.

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