Couples often use therapy to examine issues they have difficulty discussing at home. Learn how to get started with couples therapy from a licensed clinical social worker in this video.
Find experienced, licensed therapist
Specializes in couples therapy
Set goals
Carolyn McIntyre is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified employee assistance professional, and has training in Life Coaching.
CAROLYN MCINTYRE: My name is Carolyn McIntyre. I'm a licensed clinical social worker, a certified employee assistance professional and I have training in life coaching. In this clip, we're going to discuss a beginner's guide to couple therapy. Couples come to therapy because they're having difficulty discussing difficult issues on their own and they need some help and guidance in providing a safe place to really talk through issues. So what you want to look for in a good couple therapist is a therapist who is licensed, who has years of experience and can make both of you feel safe and comfortable. A good couple therapist acts like a coach. They're not there to judge you. They're not there to fix the problems but they're there to provide a safe place so that you can gain insight and take a look at the patterns of interaction that are keeping you stuck. A good couple therapist has years of experience and is either a licensed clinical social worker or a psychologist. A good couple therapist will provide guidance and insight and not be there to judge you or not be there to take sides. A good couple therapist is able to respect both points of view and help the couple look at what are the patterns and the ways that they are getting stuck. You want to make sure that the therapist is a person that both of you feel comfortable with. The chemistry has to be right. It needs to be a therapist that both of you feel safe with and can open up about your problems and concerns. You also want to look for a licensed therapist who has training beyond their degree. That means post-graduate training. So you want to ask the therapist if they have special training in couple and family therapy and you want to use a therapist who has that specialty training. So the five points to remember are find a licensed therapist who is either a psychologist or social worker, find a therapist who has years of experience and has a specialty in couple and family therapy or this is most of their practice. You want to find a therapist who is like a coach who helps provide guidance and insight and you want to consider what your goals are for therapy and the things that you want to work on.
Member Comments