Couples Counseling Potomac MD

Bringing You Closer Together Through Couples Counseling

Those who are looking to reconnect with their partner may benefit from couples counseling in

As a couples counseling in Potomac, MD at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates understands, when a relationship seems to be crumbling, couples may feel like the situation is hopeless. Perhaps you feel like your relationship is heading towards breaking up, and wonder if attending therapy could help keep you two together. For some couples, seeing a therapist can be the magical solution that can bring you closer and remain in a partnership.

Those who are looking to reconnect with their partner may benefit from couples counseling in Potomac, Maryland with a therapist at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates. We believe in helping our clients reach a more intimate place in their relationship. If you have been having problems with trust, communication, disagreements, or other issues, we can help guide you to a place of harmony. Couples counseling can be of great benefit to both partners.

Here, we have answered some common questions couple’s ask when it comes to attending therapy:

What is couples therapy?

Couples therapy is for partners who are in a romantic relationship. This couple could be married, have a family, or aren’t married but need help getting through a relationship hurdle. Couples counseling helps people explore their dynamic, focus on goals for personal changes, learn communication skills, and figure out whether they want to continue their relationship.

What if there’s significant relationship distress?
Many couples may find that at some point in their relationship there is a building tension, distrust, decreased intimacy, or frequent verbal arguments without solution. The signs of relationship distress can include the following:

• Challenges in communicating, understanding and resolution of differences
• Enduring the same relationship argument/scenario over and over again
• Loss of trust foundation due to infidelity, or other behavior
• Feeling hopeless and surmounting stress in the relationship

What are the key elements for a healthy relationship?
In order for a relationship to thrive in a healthy and positive way, there are ingredients to consider that can have a substantial impact on romantic success.

1. Identifying Attachment Style: the relationship pattern you develop in early childhood years with your parents or caretakers can set the foundation for adult relationships in the future. These behaviors are often unconscious, but with an increased awareness through Potomac, MD couples counseling, you can develop healthier attachment patterns with your partner.
2. Present Moment: by practicing mindfulness of the present moment rather than of past or future concerns, it can help transform relationships and enhance their immediacy and value.
3. Realistic Expectations: sometimes we have expectations of our partner that are unrealistic and even harmful if we do not accept our partner for who they really are and not how we imagine they could be.
4. Self-Acceptance and Compassion: by being gentle and accepting of ourselves for who we are, it can transfer to the people around us, including our romantic partners.
5. Healthy Communication: developing skills for talking with our significant other in a healthy manner, establishing boundaries, and managing emotions.

What can I expect during my first couples counseling session?
To start, a therapist may ask about who you and your partner are as individuals. This is so your therapist can get a sense of how to guide both of you during the therapy sessions. A therapist’s goal is not to determine a resolution for you, but to instead help you arrive at a mutual agreement.

Therapy can provide a safe, non-judgemental, and neutral space for expression of resentments, emotions, and past hurts that need healing. A therapist can help couples understand each other and overcome painful events in their relationship. Whether the issues have to do with infidelity, mistrust, lack of intimacy and more, Lindsey Hoskins & Associates can offer an unbiased yet compassionate ear.

Does it help to get couples counseling before marriage?
Before saying “I do,” many couples find that one of the best things they can do for their relationship is going to premarital Maryland couples counseling in Potomac. Is this a preemptive strategy? Are these couples expecting that divorce will be on the horizon and they are trying to fix it before anything happens? Not necessarily. Many couples find that premarital couples counseling is extremely beneficial and helps them grow in their relationship before their wedding day.

If you are interested in seeing whether pre-marital counseling is right for you and your partner, please reach out to us for more information. As you both go into the next phase in your relationship, we want to provide you with the information and resources you need to have a successful marriage.

How can pre-marital therapy help us before the big day?
There are many benefits to getting therapy before marriage. Below, we have listed some of the ways that it can help you and your partner.

1. Talk About the Past. Many couples find that they do not like bringing up issues in the past, whether it is from your own personal relationship, a past romantic relationships, or family issues. However, premarital counseling can give you and your partner a safe space to discuss these problems so that you can both learn to cope. Additionally, your counselor can teach you coping techniques for problems that may arise after you’re married so that you can face your problems head-on.

2. Learn to Effectively Communicate. Communication is one of the biggest problems when it comes to any relationship, not just marriage. However, if you do not know how to communicate effectively before your wedding day, you are setting yourself up for potentially years of problems in your marriage. Your counselor can go over hypothetical situations with you and your partner and show you key ways to communicate so that you are prepared before you say “I do.” This can make for a much healthier future marriage.

3. Look at Problems. When you and your partner are venue shopping and cake tasting, the last thing you want to be doing is talking about potential problems in your relationship. As you think about the big day, it can feel like the honeymoon phase has already begun. That said, when you attend premarital couples therapy, you can work with your counselor to identify areas in your relationship that may be problematic. Are you a jealous person? Does your partner spend their money unwisely? It may seem counterintuitive to bring up problems before they happen but can be highly effective to have an objective third-party walk you through ways to deal with these problems before they become a deal breaker.

Many couples wait too long to get the help they need when their relationship is on the verge of breaking down. When this happens, you may be setting yourself up for an unhappy marriage or a marriage likely to end in divorce even before your wedding day. This is where MD couples counseling from Lindsey Hoskins & Associates can help.

What are the current statistics on therapy success rates?

As a couples therapist may tell you, there aren’t any guarantees when it comes to attending counseling together. You may decide that being in a relationship is the right thing, or that it’s better to part ways. Recent statistics suggest that most couples felt they benefited from attending therapy, and about 2 out of every 3 people say the improvements they felt were significant. About half of the couples who attended therapy maintained these benefits for at least two years after. Therapy can be immensely helpful for couples who are dedicated and fully invested in the process. 

What do we need to do to make this work?

Some couples may have misconceptions about what therapy is going to be about. Just showing up is not all that you need to do in order to make a difference. It also isn’t a space for venting about the things that your partner is doing wrong. While topics regarding disagreements are sure to be covered, is isn’t intended to be a “blame fest”. In fact, many therapists encourage each partner to work on themselves individually, so they can both grow in ways that benefit the relationship. 

In order for partners to reap the benefits of couples therapy, they will need to be:

-Committed to the Relationship: both partners have to show up to the therapy sessions fully committed to seeing if their relationship can continue functioning. It’s okay if you aren’t sure what to do, as the therapist can help guide you. The key is to focus on how you can improve the relationship and being committed to sticking to it even when it gets tough.
-Committed to the Process: Couples therapy can fail simply due to one or both partners failing to see therapy as a resource that can help them. One partner may refuse to show up entirely, or doesn’t actively participate in the therapeutic process.
-Open to Learning and New Perspectives: Not having the answers to your current relationship problems is probably why you are seeking therapy. It is helpful if both partners are open to learning new skills, like how to communicate better or see things from another perspective.

Contact Us For Maryland Couples Counseling in Potomac

We believe in helping couples achieve the longevity they desire. We take pride in assisting our clients during their journey to a renewed sense of joy in their relationship. We hope to hear from you today about Potomac, Maryland couples counseling, so contact us to schedule a session with a therapist at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates.