Couples Therapist in Bethesda MD
Many people don’t realize how much their emotional health affects their physical health. This includes their relationships. In fact, multiple studies have shown that if a person has a strong and healthy relationship, this can actually help prevent medical conditions, as well as improve their emotional health. Unfortunately, as many Maryland couples can attest, issues come up in relationships that can have a negative impact. In these situations, a couples therapist Bethesda MD families recommend can help.
Happy Relationships and Good Health
As mentioned above, there have been multiple studies that have concluded that when a person is in a happy relationship, their health and longevity is impacted in a positive way. They also enjoy better moods, better memory, better immune system, less heart disease, and less physical pain than couples who are in unhappy relationships.
Being in a bad marriage or relationship can cause great stress in a person’s life. As long as the issues the couple has are unresolved, there is also no resolution of the stress. In fact, the longer the issues continue, the more the stress level will increase. This stress has been medically proven to affect a person’s heart, brain, and nervous system. When a person is exposed to consistent and chronic stress, their body begins to condition itself to that stress. In fact, the body can actually begin to perceive the partner as a threat and trigger the nervous systems. Some of the feelings a person can experience that will cause these triggers include feelings of neglect, feelings of being misunderstood, when the partner criticizes them, feelings of betrayal by the partner, and if there is abuse by the partner.
The arguing and fighting that unhappy couples are involved in can also trigger this threat response. When that response is triggered, the body releases adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones, which all impact the body’s major organs and systems. While these releases are okay in a the short-term, when it continues for an extended period of time, the person can suffer serious health issues, such as immune system problems, hypertension, and heart disease.
Relationships are always evolving – or should be. A couples therapist in Bethesda, MD can help if your relationship feels as if it is stuck in a negative and acrimonious place. When issues do come up, it is important for couples to deal with them, or else these issues will become even more problematic. The longer a couple ignores a problem, the deeper it can get. Communication is the key, but it is not uncommon for couples to not always be able to communicate effectively with each other. Frustration can build and communication breaks down completely.
A Bethesda, MD couples therapist can teach couples effective ways to communicate so that both partners feel acknowledged and listened to by the other. Contact Lindsey Hoskins & Associates for more details and assistance.
If you recognize that you and your partner are having trouble in your relationship, you may be considering seeing a couples therapist in Bethesda, Maryland. However, your partner might not know the benefits of relationship counseling yet. He or she might think that your problems will solve themselves and ignore the idea of counseling. The good news is that you can take steps to convince your significant other that seeking a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates is the right choice.
Don’t Wait Too Long
When discussing something as serious as seeing a couples therapist in Bethesda MD, you may be tempted to put it off. However, if you wait too long to talk about this subject with your partner, nothing will get solved. Even though talking about the subject may be a little uncomfortable at first, it will get better once you start talking.
Avoid Putting All the Blame on Your Partner
Nobody likes to be blamed for all the problems in a relationship. If you blame all the relationship problems on your partner during your discussion, he or she will be resistant to talking with a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD. Instead of doing this, suggest that couples counseling can help both of you work through your issues in a comfortable environment so that both of you can become better partners.
Explain That the Counselor Won’t Take Sides
Some people shy away from couples therapy because they think the couples therapist will take the other partner’s side. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. A couples therapist in Bethesda, MD will remain completely neutral in the situation and try to help both of the partners work through their issues. It’s important to explain this to your significant other to make him or her less resistant to counseling.
Make a Compromise
If your partner is very reluctant to counseling, you can always try to make a compromise with him or her.
Don’t Make Ultimatums
If your partner is resistant to seeing a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD, it can be tempting to impose an ultimatum. However, this probably won’t work out very well in the end. People don’t like ultimatums because they make them feel powerless. Instead of demanding that your partner go to counseling or else, calmly explain how a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD would benefit the two of you and how much it would mean to you if he or she would go.
Choose the Right Time
It’s important to tell your partner that you want to go couples counseling at the right time. If you, for example, bring the subject up after the two of you have had a big argument, he or she isn’t likely to respond as well. It’s better to have the discussion when both of you are calm and have some time to talk about the subject.
If you and your partner are having relationship woes, schedule a consultation with a qualified couples therapist in Bethesda, MD with Lindsey Hoskins & Associates today.
Question To Ask Your Couple’s Therapist To Help You Choose the Right One
Choosing a couples therapist in Bethesda, Maryland is a little different from selecting a general healthcare provider. It’s important to be aware that you are going to get very personal with the therapist that you choose. Working with two people in a session can be difficult. You want a therapist who understands couple’s therapy and won’t take sides. Here are some questions to get you started when you’re interviewing a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates.
What Kind of Training Have You Had in Couples Counseling?
Ideally, look for a counselor with a Marriage and Family Therapist MFT license, but at the very least, find a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD who specializes in marriage and couple’s counseling. Ask about what methods are used in counseling. Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is considered to be one of the most effective methods, but there are other good types of counseling. The methodology can give you insights into how the therapist works.
What Are Your Values About Relationships?
You should know what kind of values the therapist has about staying in love and working together on your relationship. Your therapist shouldn’t impart his or her own values on you. A good couples therapist in Bethesda, MD may ask why you want to stay in your marriage, but asking “why you’re putting up with something,” or telling you it’s time to move on, isn’t a good counselor. Couple’s therapists shouldn’t tell you it’s time to end the relationship.
How Will You Set Goals For Counseling?
Your therapist should set this question back in your lap. You should be the ones setting your own goals. Of course, the couples therapist in Bethesda, MD may help you define those goals, but if they tell you what he or she thinks should happen before talking to you, that’s a red flag. You set the goals.
Ask Yourself – Do You Both Feel Safe With The Therapist?
Sure, you need to like the person who is providing therapy, but the better question to ask is if you can trust this person. You’re going to have to share some very personal details to get the most out of counseling with a couples therapist in Bethesda, MD. If you or your partner doesn’t feel safe enough to share, then the experience isn’t going to work.
Take Your Time Finding the Right Therapist
You may be able to ask these questions on the phone before you make an appointment. Some, you may have to wait until your first appointment to really get the information you need. It’s okay to interview more than one couples therapist in Bethesda, MD before you delve into therapy. Your marriage is worth finding a therapist that you both feel comfortable with.
Make an appointment today with Lindsey Hoskins & Associates, couples therapist in Bethesda, MD to improve your relationship.