Congratulations! You and your partner(s) have made the important decision to see a therapist.
A good couple’s therapist is aware that there are expectations and will work with you at address questions and concerns throughout the process. Here are 5 Things to Expect from Couples Therapy at CARE Counseling:Process for Couple’s Therapy At CARE, the first four sessions set an important foundation as the first session focuses on the couple’s relationship, then individual sessions with the identified patient and their partner(s), followed by a treatment planning session. A good couple’s therapist will have a treatment plan that incorporates shared goals for the couple. They help advocate for the shared goals for the relationship No Secret-Keeping A good couple’s therapist does not keep secrets. They do not “hold” secrets or meet 1:1 outside of the couple’s session unless there is a clear purpose discussed and agreed upon by the couple as the focus of therapy is on the couple and the relationship. A good therapist also offers to coordinate care with the patient’s individual therapist as best practice, with your written consent. Objectivity in Session A good couple’s therapist does not to decide to end the relationship, decide if you should stay together, or get divorced; however, a therapist can provide psychoeducation and tools to help empower you to decide what is best for you. A good therapist does not take sides. They offer empathy and unconditional positive regard to the relationship–all parties involved. They help each person feel heard and understood. Modeling and Teaching Healthy Skills A good couples therapist helps provide psychoeducation on healthy relationships and relational dynamics. This may include teaching communication skills, modeling anger mgmt. during conflict, learning about emotional expression/ modulation, and understanding how to build love-maps. A good couple’s therapist often goes back to the basics—empathetic listening, creating a sense of safety and trust, working with attachment and intimacy, focusing on basic communication, and learning how to express & cope with feelings. Directive to Contain, Pause & Redirect A good couple’s therapist can be directive, if needed. They are not going to watch an argument week after week but are going to set ground rules from the beginning, offer containment, take a break/ pause as appropriate and have boundaries to help everyone feel safe. A good couple’s therapist is not going to be providing therapy when the relationship is unsafe due to factors such as domestic violence or significant therapy interfering behaviors. They may recommend individual therapy in conjunction with couples therapy or take a pause on couples therapy until there is stability in the individual(s). We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/5-things-to-expect-from-couples-therapy/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/5-things-to-expect-from-couples-therapy Motivation Series Part 3: DedicationWelcome to part three of our motivation series! It’s common to find ourselves with a long to-do list and motivation nowhere in sight. In those moments, relying on your commitment to the task can help you start crossing items off your list. This week’s motivational “bypasser” is dedication feeling devoted (love, loyalty, and/or enthusiasm) to a task or action Relying on dedication may be particularly helpful for you if you often call yourself lazy due to feeling unwilling to work or use energy, if you wonder why you’re doing something, or if you’re feeling apathetic. For our purposes, you can also think of dedication in terms of looking at the big picture, commitment, loyalty, focusing on values (aka focusing on the importance or worth of something), and operating based on your principles. Tips for developing dedication: > Center the “why.” What about these tasks make them worthy of being on your list? When I asked university students the “why” behind their coursework, they shared so many answers: to make family proud, a love of learning, to advance their career, to challenge themselves. Whatever your reason is, find a way to remember it. Change your phone background to a relevant photo or take out the craft supplies and make an inspiration board that you can display in a prominent location. > Prioritize. This can be particularly helpful when feeling immobilized and overwhelmed. Identify the 1-3 tasks that are most important for you to do today and commit yourself to those tasks. I remember in the earliest days of motherhood, my priorities would look something like, “shower, eat, hopefully step outside” (okay, fine, sometimes that’s still my list). It’s hard to acknowledge that something else may not get done, but this ensures that the most essential tasks get completed. Tip: If it’s had to decide, it may be useful to list your to-dos in a grid format. Identify each one as either important/not that important and urgent/not that urgent. Then pick from the “important and urgent” items. > Identify your values. Grab a pen and paper and take a moment to write about what is most important to you in life. If you want a little more structure, here is a great worksheet: https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Personal-Values-Worksheet.pdf. After taking 10 minutes to write, read over your responses. What 5 or so key words stand out to you? Perhaps you most value courage and chivalry, wisdom and creativity, kindness and loyalty, or ambition and leadership. (Or, maybe you’re not a Harry Potter fan and have a list that doesn’t align with one of the Hogwarts houses. Either way… ) Now that you’ve identified your top values, connect your tasks to at least one value. Then commit yourself to living out that value by doing your task. It’s okay if you need to take a bit of a creative stretch or tweak the task slightly to better align with your values. > Identify obstacles. Notice what gets in the way of you doing what you want to do. Then, identify ways you can work around these obstacles. If you need to, message a friend or call a parent for some help brainstorming. Then, make the adjustments you need to address these obstacles and move on to your tasks. Perhaps you’re too exhausted after work to exercise, but you can take a quick nap or exercise during lunch instead. > Don’t do it. I know it’s ironic, but if your to-do is disconnected from your values, never a priority, lacks a satisfactory “why,” and gets derailed by the smallest of obstacles, perhaps the real issue is that this task simply is not worth the mental space and energy. If possible, delegate it or skip it! If that’s not possible, tune into next week’s motivation blog series about how to inspire yourself – a great way to make even the dullest of tasks have a bit of sparkle. If you’d like to receive support in implementing these strategies, contact us to connect with a therapist. Written By: Jaime Ascencio, Ph.D., HTR We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/motivation-series-part-3-dedication/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/motivation-series-part-3-dedication |
AuthorHello its me Lisa Johnson i am 32 years old from Mission, TX. I am professional family therapist and i also deals in adult therapy and children’s therapy. Archives
April 2023
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