Couples Therapy and Trust Issues this New Year

The New Year is here and while you might be hoping for your relationship to be different between you, you're starting realize, there are still some trust issues blocking your intimacy with each other and leaving you wondering if couples therapy can help.

Trust Can be Broken Through:

• Infidelity
• Feeling your partner doesn't have your back
• Feeling betrayed by your partner
• Feeling like you can't confide in them because it will be used against you in an argument
• Feeling like you can't talk with them because they will tell other people

These are just some of the common ways trust can become stressed in a marriage or relationship.

Building Trust

[caption id="attachment_1370" align="alignright" width="300"] Rebuild Your Relationship this New Year![/caption] Around this time of year, there are so many messages about New Year's resolutions. And while these can be helpful, they can also be daunting. The purpose of this post is not to provide another "to do" on your list of resolutions or things to do in the New Year. Believe me, I sure don't want another thing added to my plate when it feels already super full as it is! What I hope to provide through this post is that, if you've been struggling in your relationship and are wanting to make things better, help is available. You don't have to start another year reliving all of the relationship stressors of the previous years. Working with a trained marital therapist can help. Many specialized marriage counselors and couples therapists can help couples create a road map toward the relationship they both envision. One where trust can be secured and communication can be more satisfying.

Couples Therapy Benefits

There are studies that discuss the physical and emotional toll stress in a relationship can have on our health and well being. Couples therapy offers couples an opportunity to begin examining patterns in their marriage that have been impacting the overall health of their relationship and maybe even themselves personally. Some other benefits couples therapy and marriage counseling offer are:

• Safe space with a professionally trained therapist to help you both talk about thoughts/feelings/concerns
• Set time and place to address underlying trust issues in your relationship
• Opportunity to learn how to repair from conflicts
• Opportunity to learn how to talk with one another that allows you both to be truly heard and understood

Timing is Important When Considering Marriage Counseling or Couples Therapy

[caption id="attachment_1359" align="alignright" width="300"] Reach out Now for Relationship Help![/caption] Couples often wait too long to start marital therapy or relationship counseling. If you've been reading my blog, you'll be familiar with Dr. John Gottman as I mention his work in some of my other posts. Dr. Gottman is a pioneer in the study of what makes couples work and what doesn't. According to his research, couples wait an average of 6 years before seeking relationship help. 6 Years! And while it seems like time flies by so fast these days, 6 years is quite a long time to wait to get help when your relationship is in distress. 

New Year and Your Relationship

Let this year be the time to get help from a professional couples therapist to help you have better communication, stronger intimacy, and deeper emotional connection with one another. Please reach out today if you are struggling in your relationship. Don't wait any longer to get the help you're looking for. If you live in and around Austin, Texas, contact me today.

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By: Anna McElearney, LMFT, LPC, NCC *Blog intended for information and educational purposes only.