Questions to ask your therapist about online counseling for couples

 Questions to Ask Your Therapist about Online Counseling for Couples

For a long time, traditional, in-office counseling for couples was the only psychotherapy approach available. You would have to find a marriage therapist, schedule your sessions and travel to the therapist’s office for every appointment. Thanks to modern technology, however, more couples choose relationship counseling online over traditional, in-person therapy. Some of the most common benefits of online counseling include its convenience, the range of choices, and ability for finding a great highly trained and specialized clinician who can help.   

How Is It Different than Traditional In-Office Couples Therapy?

Relationship counseling online is very similar to traditional in-office couples therapy, just from your home. Online counseling is a great therapy option for our demanding everyday lives. There is no need to commute or to leave your work early in order to get on time to your counselor’s office.

Also, the best online counseling offers a range of choices when it comes to expressing your thoughts and feelings. You can talk, text or communicate with your counselor in real-time, whatever works for you.

For online counseling for couples, you will need a strong internet connection and a secure place to talk in your home or office.

You might need to follow the therapist’s lead more to stay focused during the session.

Are We Good Candidates for Online Counseling for Couples?

If you are not struggling with active and ongoing abuse, addictions, or unfinished affairs, you might be a good candidate for relationship counseling online. Studies show that couples wait on average six years before they decide to seek marriage counseling. Many couples are not sure whether they need counseling or not. People rarely decide to seek couples counseling when they notice the first marriage breakdown signs.

You may assume that your relationship issues are just passing trouble that will pass on their own. Or that you are able to figure it out on your own.

Online couples therapy can help you and your partner learn important skills to improve your relationship. Some of these include communication skills, problem-solving skills, empathy, self-management skills, social skills and similar.

Couples counseling can also help you decide whether their relationship is worth working on or you should end it. In this case, couples counseling may help you end the relationship on good terms. However, the specific treatment plan of relationship counseling online usually depends on the situation.

What are the Main Reasons to Seek Couple Therapy?

Here are some of the most common reasons why people seek online couples counseling.

1. Communication Problems

Online couples therapy can help increase mutual understanding and communication by helping you improve your listening skills, learn healthy communication patterns and boost your social skills. It can help you and your partner become better listeners and learn how to understand and respect each other’s viewpoints, feelings, and needs.

2. Ongoing Conflicts in Relationship

Therapy can help you learn that conflicts aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Each conflict is a chance to learn about each other and improve your communication. Relationship counseling online can help you practice constructive ways to approach and resolve your conflicts.

With the help of an online marriage therapist, you can learn healthy assertive ways of expressing your needs and how to handle the aftermath of conflicts.

3. Different Points of View

Online couples therapy may be a good setting to discuss your disagreements and understand your problems from a new standpoint by strengthening your empathy skills.

Couples counseling can help you and your partner take a different view of your things that create your relationship anxiety. By encouraging vulnerability and improving your empathy skills, online couples counseling can improve your understanding of each other’s standpoints and encourage you to handle the problems in a more constructive way.

4.  Infidelity

If you or your partner had an affair, but you decided to forgive and restore your relationship, online couples counseling can help you learn how to gradually rebuild trust and rekindle the connection.

Will You Tell Us if We Are Not Making Enough Progress?

Every couple is different, and every couple makes progress at their own pace. But yes, I will tell you if I think that you are not making enough progress and we will discuss the possible reasons for this.

Summary

Relationship counseling online is gaining more popularity among couples who want to address marriage breakdown signs and work on improving their relationship. Comparing to traditional in-office counseling, online couples therapy is more convenient as it allows you to attend the sessions from your home. Also, online therapy cost is usually lower when compared to traditional marriage therapy.

I hope this information helps you to better understand the benefits of online therapy for relationship issues. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give me a call at (703)347 3200 and schedule an appointment online or in my Wake Forest office here.