Couples counseling is often misunderstood. While it is absolutely an effective way to save a struggling relationship, the goal of couples counseling is not solely to save a marriage. It is to develop healthier communication patterns, eliminate toxicity, determine how to work together in a partnership, and on and on.
The same principles of couples counseling can be used at any stage of a relationship, even a friendship. Many people get pre-marital counseling with this in mind. Some friends even get couples counseling. And it may be a good idea to consider how couples counseling can help you even after a marriage has been dissolved.
Why Would You See a Couples Counselor After a Divorce?
When we talk about post-divorce couples counseling, we’re not necessarily talking about trying to renew the relationship – unless that is your goal, in which case that is certainly what we will work on together.
But not all relationships are meant to be saved. Not every couple is meant to be together. Even in a situation where the partners are both mutually aware that the relationship was meant to end, there are still many benefits to working with a couples counseling in the months and years after the divorce. For example:
- Co-Parenting – If there is a child in the marriage, couples counseling can help partners learn how to co-parent together and make sure that they’re figuring out how to communicate about and meet the child’s needs.
- Determining Support and Assets – Figuring out how to divide assets, or child support, or even figuring out how to navigate tough conversations when an item or help is needed can be addressed with couples counseling and psychotherapy.
- Navigating Tough Emotions Together – Whether you’re still feeling highly emotional about the divorce or not, there are going to be tough emotions at some point – for example, when a partner starts dating again. Learning how to navigate those emotions and prepare for them in the future can be helpful.
- Handling Future Relationships – Often we take our past relationships into our future ones. The more we can navigate the relationship now and heal some of the conflicts you had in your relationship, the more it will become easier to address future ones with new partners.
- Learning More About Yourself – Relationships are a reflection of two individuals and how they connect, learn, and grow. Couples counseling helps you learn more about yourself, which is a great way to make sure that you are ready for healthy relationships in the future.
Maybe you still want to save your relationship. Maybe you are ready to move on. Maybe you are in constant conflict or maybe it is amicable. There are still many, many reasons that couples counseling after a divorce can be helpful.
If you would like to pursue couples counseling for any reason, reach out to Right Path Counseling, today.
