How to prepare for family therapy or couples therapy?
When you come to therapy, it is important to consider: Do you want to come alone or with a partner or family member? If there are too many conflicts in the beginning, it may be useful to hold the first sessions separately.
Therapy will help you understand the dynamics of the relationship and find new ways to support each other. The more consciously you approach the meeting, the more benefits you will get.
What you should pay attention to before coming to therapy:
1. Decide whether you want to come together or separately – if the conflict is very acute, the first sessions can be held separately.
2. If the child is anxious, it is good to have both parents present (if possible).
3. Formulate your expectations for therapy – what changes do you want to see?
4. Think about what influences your relationship the most – an event, a person, or external factors?
5. Think about who in your family can support you – perhaps someone in the family that you can turn to if you need it?
6. Evaluate your relationship over time – how have they changed over time and what influenced those changes?
7. Some limitations in therapy – we do not perform couples therapy if:
- Your partner is currently abusive towards you or your child. In this case, we will work first with the abusive partner and then, if necessary, with you separately.
- If you are in a relationship with an abusive partner or a partner who is being abused, you must first build a relationship with the abused partner.
Therapy will only be carried out if both parties are willing to participate in the process.
8. Therapy can evoke strong emotions – it’s part of the process and helps to understand and resolve deeper relationship issues. The therapist works on the basis of hypotheses that are confirmed or refuted during the dialogue.
Family and couples therapy is not a place for blame, but a safe space to understand how relationships work and what can be done to improve them.
You can make an appointment HERE.