Marriage and Couples Counseling in Waltham, MA—Counselors and Therapists at Thriveworks

Courtney and Tanner are high school sweethearts. It started out as a fluke date night but turned into a 10-year adventure. Today, they are celebrating another anniversary—although, it doesn’t feel like a celebratory, happy, or loving day. How could it when Courtney and Tanner have barely spoken a word to each other? They’ve only talked about who would drop the kids off at school and who was in charge of making dinner.

Flash forward a few weeks later: Courtney decides that it’s time to do something about their indifference toward each other. Hopeful, she convinces her husband to join her for couples counseling. After just a few sessions, she can feel their connection building again. There’s a spark—something they haven’t felt in years.

“Commitment requires a willingness to sit

with unresolved conflict matched with a strong resolve to soften your hearts together.”

–Sevin Philips

If you and your partner or spouse are experiencing problems in your relationship—such as a lack of connection, communication issues, or different visions for the future—couples counseling or marriage therapy can help you too. All couples run into their fair share of difficulties; even the strongest of the strongest relationships struggle. Fortunately, though, you can overcome the challenges that you face. And a marriage or couples counselor at Thriveworks Waltham can help you do so.

What Is Couples Counseling? How Does It Work?

Couples counseling helps couples overcome challenges in their relationship and/or learn tools to overcome challenges that may arise in the future. These challenges often include:

·      Communication errors

·      Financial stress

·      Visions for the future

·      Infidelity

·      Lack of intimacy

Your counselor or psychologist will work with you and your partner to confront the challenges that appear in your relationship. While the counseling approach can vary from counselor to counselor (and depending on your unique situation), often, couples counseling focused on identifying present issues, making healthy changes that will improve relationship satisfaction, and outlining a clear plan for moving forward as well as determining where the couple wants to be in x amount of time.

The Stages of Relationship Development

Research shows that healthy relationships grow and change over time, going through various stages of development. These stages are not always linear, but typically occur in the same order. You have probably experienced many of these stages yourself. Each stage has its own unique benefits and challenges. Some of these relationship stages include:

1. The Romance Stage:This first stage is also called the infatuation stage and is probably the one you’re most familiar with. This is the stage glamorized by Hollywood as the pinnacle of your romantic aspirations. Here the relationship is easy, as you get to know your partner and focus only on the positive aspects of their personality.

2. The Power Struggle Stage: After some time together, however, you begin to see more of your partner’s flaws you previously ignored. This stage of a relationship often sees couples break up and look for more compatible mates, only to repeat the romance/break up process again and again.

3. The Stability Stage:If you work through the power struggle with your partner, you begin to accept them for who they are. In this stage, you truly know that your partner is different from you and may not always see things the same way. You both have created clear boundaries and learn respect for one another.

5. The Commitment Stage:This stage sees you and your partner create a balance of love, belonging, fun, togetherness and freedom. In this stage, there are fewer struggles inside the marriage, though the stresses of the world may still press in.
6. The Co-Creation or Bliss Stage:This stage sees you and your partner as more than just two individuals. The two of you have chosen to be a team moving through the world, providing support for one another. This stage is what most couples seek.

Our professional therapists, psychologists, and counselors in Waltham and across Massachusetts have worked hard to gain a knowledge and understanding of the different stages in a relationship. Through education and practical experience, they learned that each stage can cause unique stresses on a couple, stresses that might separate you and your partner. Unless you resolve your differences in a healthy way and deal with the stress in your relationship, you may keep repeating the same struggles over and over without making progress.

Scheduling a Couples Counseling Session at Thriveworks Waltham

Without the skills to navigate the various stages of your relationship, you can find yourself stuck, frustrated, and unhappy. To help you learn how to move forward, our couples counselors will first meet with you to determine where you are in your relationship and help you pinpoint some of the challenges you and your partner need to address. Once they’ve determined this, our therapists can help you map out how to proceed. Relationships aren’t always easy, but if you put in the effort, your romantic life can improve.

If you’re ready to get started with couples counseling at Thriveworks Waltham, just give us a call at (781) 309-9149. A scheduling specialist will help you schedule a session with a provider who can best help you and at a date and time that best fits your schedule. We look forward to beginning this important work and meeting you soon!