How Effective Is Couple’s Therapy?

Couples therapy, also known as marriage counseling is a form of psychotherapy designed to help couples improve their relationship and resolve conflicts. While couples therapy can help address various issues such as difficulties with communication, trust issues, etc., many couples still resist seeking couples therapy, doubting its effectiveness. In this article, we’ll look at the research on couples therapy and find out if it’s really effective.

Understanding Couples Therapy

Simply put, couples therapy is a structured process where a trained therapist helps couples identify and address issues that are causing distress in their relationship. The goals of couples therapy typically include improving communication, resolving conflicts, increasing intimacy, and strengthening the overall relationship bond. A couples therapist provides the couples with a safe space to talk about their concerns while empowering them with various tools and techniques to overcome the issues at hand.

Does Couple’s Therapy Really Work?

Yes, there is ample evidence to suggest that couples therapy can help address various issues. Research conducted in 2011 suggests that couples therapy benefits more than 70% of couples. The same research found that couples therapy can help address issues such as depression as well. Let’s look at the effectiveness of couples therapy in depth.

• Couple’s Therapy’s Impact On Overall Relationship.

Numerous studies suggest that couples therapy can help address various issues, such as a lack of understanding and communication difficulties among partners.  A study conducted in 2010 on the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) on couples found that EFT can help improve trust, forgiveness and adjustment among couples while also reducing emotional difficulties.

Another study published in 2018 on the effectiveness of Gottman’s method on couples found that Gottman’s model can increase adjustment and intimacy among couples.

• Couple’s Therapy For Addictions

An analysis of a collection of studies published in 2022 suggests that couples therapy can help address substance use and addiction issues among couples. Another study indicates that couples therapy can cause a significant reduction in substance use while also bringing other positive results, such as increased relationship satisfaction, a reduction in partner violence, and better psychosocial development in children.

• Couples Therapy And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

In a study published in 2012, it was found that cognitive behavioural couples therapy can be an effective intervention in couples where one partner is diagnosed with PTSD. Couples therapy not only led to a reduction in the severity of PTSD symptoms but also increased relationship satisfaction. 

• Couples Therapy For Depression

A study published in 2018 on the effectiveness of couples therapy for depression found that couples therapy was as effective as individual therapy in addressing symptoms of depression. However, more research is required to reach firm conclusions.

Thus, research evidence suggests that couples therapy can be effective for multiple issues. However, the effectiveness of couples therapy depends on various factors. Let’s explore them in the next section.

Factors Influencing The Effectiveness Of Couple’s Therapy

The effectiveness of couples therapy depends on various factors, such as:

• The commitment of both partners to the therapy process.  Couples who are motivated to make changes are more likely to get positive outcomes from the process. 
• The frequency and regularity of therapy sessions.
• The skills and experience of the therapist. A competent therapist can create a safe and supportive environment for couples to address their concerns and work towards positive changes.
• The complexity of the issues being addressed
• Early intervention can prevent issues from escalating and improve the chances of successful outcomes.

Conclusion

In summary, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that couples therapy can be effective for improving relationships and resolving conflicts. However, the effectiveness of the process depends on various factors, such as the timing of the intervention, the expertise of the therapist, and the commitment of both partners. If you are considering couples therapy, click here to start your journey with Mind Voyage right away

References:

1. Barbato, A., D’Avanzo, B., & Parabiaghi, A. (2018). Couple therapy for depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(6), CD004188. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004188.pub3
2. Couple therapy in the 2020s: Current status and emerging developments—Lebow—2022—Family Process—Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/famp.12824
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6. Fals-Stewart, W., O’Farrell, T. J., & Birchler, G. R. (2004). Behavioral Couples Therapy for Substance Abuse: Rationale, Methods, and Findings. Science & Practice Perspectives, 2(2), 30–41.
7. Halchuk, R., Makinen, J., & Johnson, S. (2010). Resolving Attachment Injuries in Couples Using Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Three-Year Follow-Up. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 9, 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332690903473069
8. Knerr, M., Bartle-Haring, S., McDowell, T., Adkins, K., Delaney, R. O., Gangamma, R., Glebova, T., Grafsky, E., & Meyer, K. (2011). The Impact of Initial Factors on Therapeutic Alliance in Individual and Couples Therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37(2), 182–199. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00176.x
9. McCrady, B. S., Wilson, A. D., Muñoz, R. E., Fink, B. C., Fokas, K., & Borders, A. (2016). Alcohol-Focused Behavioral Couple Therapy. Family Process, 55(3), 443–459. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12231
10. Research on the Treatment of Couple Distress—Lebow—2012—Journal of Marital and Family Therapy—Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00249.x
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