Couples counseling at McKinney Christian Counseling creates space for the couple to not only work through any issues that are disrupting their intimacy and partnership, but also to strengthen what works in the relationship.
When two people come together in a relationship, they are bringing two worlds together and attempting to blend them into one. That’s no small feat, because the differences, similarities, strengths, and weaknesses a couple shares can bring them together as well as create a rift between them.
Couples counseling isn’t just an attempt to patch things up when a couple is struggling. It can also be used to help a couple stay on track and continue building the skills they need to maintain and deepen their relationship.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(469) 943-2452
Couples need counseling for a variety of reasons. As pointed out above, a couple may be going through a rough patch. Maybe there’s an ongoing conflict that the couple has tried to work through from every angle they know, but they just can’t seem to untie the knot. A Christian counselor is an independent third party who has training and experience in understanding relationship dynamics and can help couples harness their strengths to resolve their issues.
Couples also need counseling because we all need to recognize that relationships require work. Some of that work may be aimed at addressing present problems that are disrupting harmony in the relationship. Other work is needed simply to help the couple retain their ability to communicate, resolve conflict in healthy ways, and meet each other’s needs in a complex and ever-evolving relationship.
It’s easy for a couple to lose their connection due to being busy with work and other obligations. Counseling can help them keep a finger on the pulse of their relationship and address any issues proactively. People grow and change; couples need skills to change and grow together. That is just one part of what couples counseling at McKinney Christian Counseling can provide.
At McKinney Christian Counseling, couples counseling is a form of therapy that is directed at people who are in a committed relationship with one another. It is a term that is sometimes used interchangeably with marriage counseling, but you don’t have to be married to receive couples counseling.
Couples counseling in McKinney, Texas can help you regardless of the stage of your relationship by improving communication and how you interact with one another so your relationship is strengthened. Couples counseling focuses on challenges such as how you express and handle expectations of one another, as well as how you balance responsibilities and roles in the relationship. Couples counseling tends to be focused on the present state of the relationship, helping the couple to make any necessary adjustments to overcome issues they are currently facing or might anticipate facing.
Couples counseling is typically undertaken on a short-term basis, with a couple seeing their counselor for 10-12 sessions of around one hour per week. Couples counseling is typically, but not always, done together. Depending on the situation and the issue that has brought the couple for counseling, they may undertake their sessions together or individually. In some circumstances, each partner may meet with the counselor individually first before having joint sessions.
In the sessions, the couple will have conversations with their counselor, discussing their goals for the sessions and working through the issue that brought them for counseling. Part of what the couple will learn during their time together are strategies to improve the relationship and overcome issues, as well as skills such as problem-solving, anger management, conflict resolution, and communication.
Your counselor will employ a variety of techniques to create a safe space and help you explore the issues in an open and constructive way. They will get to know you and your story as individuals and especially as a couple, exploring your past to better understand your motivations and fears that drive behavior in your relationship. They will also help you to identify and be able to express your feelings, as well as working with you to resolve issues.
The counselor may use various approaches, such as emotionally focused therapy which seeks to improve the bonding and attachment between the couple. Psychodynamic couples therapy is an approach that focuses on helping you understand one another better by exploring the underlying fears and hopes that motivate you. Behavioral therapy reinforces positive behaviors while discouraging unhealthy behaviors. Your counselor will attempt to resolve the questions and concerns you may have that threaten to undermine the health of your relationship.
There are more approaches, such as Ellen Wachtel’s method that places an emphasis on the positive aspects of a relationship and self-reflection instead of blame. Another well-researched approach is the Gottman method, which equips the couple to problem-solve and grow the quality of their friendship and intimacy. Your counselor may use these when appropriate to help you achieve your goals and strengthen your relationship.
At McKinney Christian Counseling, couples counseling can provide you and your partner with the opportunity to discuss and resolve issues related to various aspects of your relationship. Couples counseling may address one or more of the following concerns:
- Addictions, including substance abuse, porn addiction, and more
- Beliefs and values, including different religious convictions
- Adoption or blended family challenges
- Anger management issues
- Arguments, disagreements, or fighting, especially if they are a regular feature of your interactions, and they revolve around the same issues
- Communication issues, including the inability to express emotions or expectations
- Physical and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Different expectations or wants for the future
- Roles within the relationship and disagreements about the distribution of responsibilities within the relationship
- Future planning, including whether or not you both want children
- Infidelity, affairs, or loyalty issues
- Life transitions, such as moving house, starting a family, or retiring
- Parenting conflicts, including different understandings of discipline
- Relationship building and bonding
- Sexual intimacy, including issues such as low sex drive
- Unemployment or financial challenges, including how to earn and spend money
- Infertility
- Familial relationships, including any issues arising from conflict with in-laws and other members of the extended family
- External stressors, such as dealing with work pressures that put strain on your relationship
- Dealing with grief and loss
Building a strong relationship through Christian couples counseling
When it comes to choosing your counselor, there are a number of considerations to make. On the practical side of things, you should consider if your insurance can cover counseling sessions, and whether you want to do counseling with just you and your counselor or pursue it in a group with other couples. Both individual and group counseling have their benefits, so you and your partner need to consider which platform will suit you best.
The dynamic between a counselor and their clients is one that requires openness and rapport for it to work. If you don’t trust or feel entirely comfortable around your counselor, it will be difficult to open up to them or to follow their recommendations. So, it’s worthwhile getting to know your counselor as well as whether they have experience dealing with situations such as that you and your partner are facing. You have the right to ask them questions in order to make sure they are the right fit for you.
In addition to these questions, you can ask them about the approaches they are likely to use, and what their style of counseling is. Some couples prefer clear structures and a plan laid out from the outset of where things will go, while others are willing to trust the process and see where the conversation leads. Each counselor will have a style that works for them. Finding a fit that works for you and the counselor will allow your working relationship to proceed with strength.
At McKinney Christian Counseling, the Christian faith is foundational in what we do. The Christian counselors in McKinney take their biblical faith seriously. Your counselor will help your relationship flourish in the fullness of God’s promises. Get in touch with us today to set up your first couples counseling session.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(469) 943-2452
