Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting Couples Counseling

 

If you and your significant other have been experiencing problems in your relationship, you may be thinking about attending couples counseling. That’s a big step. However, it’s important to make sure that therapy is truly for you and that you’re ready to make the commitment. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before attending counseling:

 

Am I Willing to Change?

 

When a relationship is in trouble, it’s rarely ever just one person who is causing the damage. It’s likely that both you and your partner have done things, whether intentionally or not, that have hurt the relationship. That’s why you have to at least be willing to make certain changes before entering couples therapy. If you just place the entire blame on your partner and aren’t willing to work on yourself, counseling will never work.

 

How Long Have We Been in a Relationship?

 

Before committing to couples counseling, you should also consider how long you and your partner have been together. Generally, you should only attend therapy if you’ve been in the relationship for more than a year. If you’ve been together for just a few months are already experiencing issues, it may be time to call it quits.

 

Why Do I Want to Attend Counseling?

 

It’s important to ask yourself about the true reason you want to go to couples counseling. Do you truly love your partner and want it to work? Or are you just afraid of being alone? The answer you give to this question will determine if counseling is actually the right choice or not. Don’t just attend counseling if you don’t want to be alone.

 

Has the Trust Been Broken?

 

If your partner has done something to break your trust, such as cheating on you, mending the relationship can be extra tough. You have to ask yourself if you are willing to forgive your significant other. If you don’t think you can, no amount of therapy will work.

 

Are You Willing to Devote Time to Therapy?

 

There’s no question that therapy will take a lot of time and commitment. Are you willing to take time away from other things to attend therapy and do the exercises your therapist assigns you?

 

Does Your Partner Want to Attend Counseling?

 

In order for couples counseling to work, both partners have to be willing to go to it. That’s why you should discuss the idea of therapy with your partner beforehand and make sure he or she agrees to it. If you try to force your significant other to attend therapy when he or she doesn’t want to, it won’t do anyone any good.

 

If you have determined that couples counseling Palatine, IL relies on is right for you and your partner, schedule a consultation with a qualified couples counselor today. During your first meeting, your counselor will find out more information about your relationship, such as how long the two of you have been together and how long you’ve been experiencing problems.


 

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Lotus Wellness Center for their insight into couples counseling and questions to ask yourself before starting counseling.