Have you ever tried to convince your partner that you might need therapy, only to find that they resist the idea? Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon scenario, and many couples struggle to find common ground regarding whether this approach is beneficial or needed. This article will examine three things you can focus on that could help nudge your partner into sitting down with a counselor.
What is Psychological Resistance?
Before we explore these tips, it is important to ensure you are familiar with a concept called “Psychological Resistance.” This term refers to a person’s internal unwillingness to change when challenged to alter their actual self to become their ideal self. In many cases, this mental resistance will be expressed through oppositional behaviors, including stonewalling their partner, expressing their discontent with words, or occasionally responding with outbursts.
When these oppositional behaviors occur, the partner struggles internally to accept the changes needed to repair those problems and grow. Couples counseling aims to help improve communication and facilitate positive emotional responses to triggering situations. Overcoming psychological resistance, if present, is one of the first steps that must be completed to persuade your partner to go to couples counseling.
How Do You Get Your Partner Interested in Couples Counseling?
Anyone struggling to talk their partner into investing in couples counseling and finding resistance will likely be unsure how to proceed. While navigating this resistance can be challenging, you must ensure that you aren’t pushing them further away from the idea. Focus on the following three things, and you will have a better chance of lessening their resistance. Hopefully, you will soon be on your way to starting a journey to a better place.
Tip 1: Know the Facts
Most people are amazed by the statistics collected by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. This national organization found that 98% of couples that attended marriage therapy reported high satisfaction with their experience. Even more impressive, 97% of those couples also felt they got the support and resources they needed to work through their problems. Couples counseling works if both partners remain engaged and invested in the process.
Tip 2: Focus on the Benefits
Anyone trying to persuade their partner to go to couples counseling should focus on the positive perspectives and outcomes possible when sitting down with a counselor. More couples than ever before are harnessing the power of couples counseling to work through their problems, gain the tools to work through problems successfully, and, potentially, even save their marriage. By focusing on the benefits, you can show your partner that you want to relationship to be its best.
Tip 3: Find Common Ground
When persuading a partner to attend couples counseling, it may help to focus on finding common ground. This is a technique that politicians use all the time. When you can establish common ground on what is best for the relationship and agree that a problem exists, it is much easier to sell couples counseling as a path to reconciliation. Pick some goals you co-create together and weave them into your goal of couples counseling.
Couples Counseling Can’t Be Forced
Forcing a partner to go to couples counseling will rarely be beneficial for a relationship. Externally motivated counseling, when forced upon a partner, can quickly lead to feelings of resentment, blame-shifting, and constant complaining. For this reason, it is crucial to ensure that the need for couples counseling comes from internal motivation and that both partners are ready to engage in the process.
If you are looking for a change from your mate, you can’t just send them to individual or couples counseling and hope that it positively impacts them. Instead, it is beneficial to form a united front, encourage them to embrace change, and make it clear that you want to pursue counseling to improve the relationship and bring change for you both.
We hope that these tips help you ease your partner into the idea of couples counseling. One final piece of advice that Salt Therapy and Wellness typically recommends is to give the idea of counseling some time to breathe. Your partner may not want to do it immediately but be respectful, calm, and persistent. You might be surprised how time can help ease them into the idea!
Ready to Take the First Step?
No matter where you might be in your journey, Salt Therapy and Wellness is here to help guide you through the challenging circumstances you are facing. Our qualified and compassionate therapists have virtual sessions available to help new clients in Oklahoma get started on their path as soon as possible. Call today or reach out to us to schedule your consultation or learn more about our services. Contact us or call (918) 630-2971.
