Introduction
The job of a marriage and family therapist presupposes consulting people who are in close and intimate relationships, partners who are thinking about parting, or couples who want to strengthen and deepen the feeling of intimacy. Such therapy allows partners to better understand each other and figure out exactly what is happening in their relationship at the moment (Northey & Gehart, 2020). I have sufficient experience working with specific problems arising in relationships and, in my work, elaborate a therapy plan that takes into account the therapy preferences of each of the partners.
Discussion
In therapy for couples, I use a variety of techniques and approaches depending on the specific problems of the couple who asked for advice. In some cases, I aim to explore the causes of the formation of negative perception patterns or behavior in relationships and help to restore effective communication between partners. In others, I use emotion-focused therapy that creates new, positive patterns of interaction and enhances the emotional involvement of partners.
The main purpose of counseling for couples is to help partners get to know each other better and teach them skills and abilities that allow them to solve various problems in a relationship. Under my guidance, the partners formulate therapy goals and develop a treatment plan – so that each participant in the process knows what to expect. In all family conflicts, I remain neutral and do not side with one of the partners. Any couple with a history of relationships or living together can get a lot of benefits from relationship counseling. Partners turn to me to solve the problems in the relationship as well as to gain a fuller understanding of the overall dynamics of the development of these relationships.
Conclusion
Most therapists and consultants working with couples agree that it is best to contact a specialist as soon as a feeling of dissatisfaction, annoyance, and dissatisfaction appears in the relationship. It is not advisable to postpone the visit to the therapist until the moment when this problem develops into a real crisis. This crisis can drag on for a long time, and many couples endure the persistent return of the same problems for years. Such a long delay only complicates the solution to the problem, and partners have to make more efforts to repair and restore relations.
Reference
Northey Jr, W. F., & Gehart, D. R. (2020). The condensed MFT core competencies: A streamlined approach for measuring student and supervisee learning using the MFT core competencies. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 46(1), 42-61.