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Goals and Objectives of Couples Therapy
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The major goal of couples therapy is to increase your understanding of yourself, your partner, and the patterns of interactions between you both. Then you learn to apply this understanding to change ineffective behaviors into positive ones.
Most people enter couples therapy believing their partner is the one who needs to change. This is a big mistake, and as long as that belief is held, the longer the therapy will take. You will need to be willing to change yourself, not your partner. Both of you need to be willing to work as a team. When it comes to improving your relationship, your attitude toward change is more important than what action you take.
Identifying what to do, and even how to do it is often the easiest part of couples therapy. What is more difficult is figuring out why you don't do it--what is holding you back from becoming the partner you want to be in the relationship.
The essential skills needed to engage in successful couples therapy are:
1. The capacity to envision a better life together.
2.The appropriate attitude to work together as a team.
3.The motivation to continue working, even when it gets
difficult.
The kind of life you want to build with your partner emerges from a process of reflection and inquiry. It requires both of you to be able to speak from your heart about what really matters.
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