People from all walks of life get together and form relationships because they can’t imagine life without the other person in their life. Over time, however, people change, and cracks form in the foundation of the relationship. Recognizing there’s a problem between the two of you is the first step, the second is getting couples counseling in the King of Prussia area to start the healing process.
The Importance of Connection in a Healthy Relationship
The feeling of connection is one of the strongest building blocks in the foundation of a relationship. It’s what brought the two of you together, and it’s something that keeps the relationship going over time. But sometimes, that foundational block shifts, and the feeling of connection becomes distant for various reasons.
Couples counseling helps to find out why the connection weakened and helps find ways to bring it back to a solid state. Both partners can regain confidence in each other as therapy progresses.
Active Listening: A Foundational Exercise for Better Communication
It’s not unusual for couples to tune each other out to a degree and make utterances to show that you’re listening. The problem with doing so is the fact that you’re not hearing your partner in their entirety. You can go from giving a partial ear to their talking to completely blocking them out. Becoming a passive listener and not acknowledging your partner’s need for input ultimately devalues the relationship.
Learning how to listen goes towards restoring balance between the two of you, as well as solidifying your relationship foundation. Both of you learn how to change the way you listen to each other and how to respond in a way that makes the other feel heard and draws the two of you closer together. Active listening leads to a deeper understanding of each other and makes for harmonious communication.
Expressing Gratitude: Building Positivity and Appreciation
The phrase “familiarity breeds contempt” is something that many couples experience. Over time, couples start to take each other for granted and don’t engage in positive activities that show appreciation for each other. This tends to lead to arguments that leave the other partner feeling like they’re not appreciated. And neither of you may realize you’re engaging in this behavior, which makes things worse.
Engaging in couples counseling shows you how to express appreciation for each other in a way that’s genuine. Getting help from a marriage counselor in Philadelphia starts you down a path of viewing your partner in a new light, and why you’re with them in the first place. It’s beneficial to both of you in that your relationship improves, helping you regain the feelings you thought were gone.
Conflict Resolution Techniques for Understanding and Compromise
Every relationship, no matter if it’s a hetero or straight couple, comes into conflict from time to time. When these conflicts become frequent, rifts in the relationship form and start breaking down the relationship. Anger is an emotion that is as strong as love, but it serves to break down a relationship instead of building it up.
Straight and gay couples therapy in the Philadelphia area seeks to address the unique challenges that come with these types of relationships. The goal is to find what’s at the core of the conflict and find ways to resolve it in a satisfactory way. This helps the relationship recover and thrive with time and patience from all involved.
How The Truth Center for Health and Healing Supports Couples on Their Journey
At the Truth Center for Health and Healing, we have a team of professionals who want to help couples succeed in healing their relationships. Contact us today to learn more about our services and what you can expect from undergoing couples counseling. We understand that making the decision to take this step isn’t easy, but we’re here to support both of you as you seek answers to your questions.