The 5 types of couples therapy
Relationships are complex. It's not just a matter of love: maintain a balance between passion, intimacy and commitment , communicate properly and have a relationship that allows both partners to grow and enrich each other's lives involves a great effort. In this context, it is not uncommon that throughout the relationship different types of conflicts may appear that the couple must face, and they may not be able to do it on their own.
An alternative that is available, if there is a desire to improve the situation, is to seek professional help: it may be necessary to go to a professional to help us perform couples therapy. However, couples therapy is not a homogeneous thing that is carried out in the same way, different currents of thought have developed different approaches that may be more or less useful depending on the problem in question. In this article, we are going to comment on couples therapy in general and some of the types of couple therapies that exist .
- Related article: "How to know when to go to couple therapy? 5 reasons of weight"
What is couples therapy?
The name of couple therapy is that type of treatment or procedure that is used at a professional level ** in order to improve the situation and relationship of a couple ** before the existence of some type of problem that interferes with its normal functioning or which is a generator of suffering for one or both parties.
This type of therapy is very useful for those couples with significant problems and conflicts or for those who seek to solve minor problems but that may affect the relationship. The most usual thing is that behind the different problems hide the presence of some type of frustration or dissatisfaction with some aspect of the relationship, usually linked or worsened by lack of communication.
It is possible that there is no clear demand beyond the presence of relational problems, one of the main aspects to work is to elucidate the reason for dissatisfaction with the objective of finding ways to reduce it and introduce changes that allow the resolution of conflicts But nevertheless, in other cases the cause of the conflict may be more limited to a circumstance , situation or concrete discrepancy.
Some of the main causes that usually lead a couple to consult they are usually the appearance of infidelity, problems or absence of communication, poor coexistence, presence of jealousy, emotional dependence, fertility problems, sexual dysfunctions, absence of shared goals or perception of lack of involvement by one of the parties, discrepancies in the education of the offspring, structural discrepancies at the level of problems of hierarchy or absence of equity in power or unexpected problems such as the death of a child or the diagnosis or suffering of a chronic or terminal medical illness or a mental disorder.
- Maybe you're interested: "Types of psychological therapies"
Types of couples therapy according to their paradigm
All these problems can be observed and treated from very different theoretical and practical perspectives . For example, some of them may focus more on emotional factors or the sensations of their members while others are based more on the existence of family roles and structures or on more cognitive aspects. All of them are considered couples therapy and all of them are useful in different situations.
Next we will see some of the main types of couples therapy that exist based on the theoretical current from which they depart .
1. Psychodynamic couple therapy
Couples therapy carried out from the psychodynamic perspective usually focuses on the presence of conflicts produced in childhood or in early development as a cause of the generation of problems of couple in the present. As well the use of defense mechanisms is analyzed as the projection in the other of one's own fears or the introjection of characteristics of the other into the individual's own self.
Other notable aspects are the high value given to the therapeutic relationship and to the conscious and unconscious fantasies of each member of the couple, especially as far as the relationship is concerned.
- Maybe you're interested: "The projection: when we criticize others, we talk about ourselves"
2. Systemic couple therapy
One of the most well-known types of couples therapy, which also leads to the application of family therapy, is based on the systemic paradigm. In this case the relationship is seen as an open system in which there is an exchange of roles, norms and relationships.Most problems are usually linked to communication problems, lack of recruitment or expression of the needs of each member of the couple or the appearance or maintenance of fixed roles that become dysfunctional and generators of suffering.
3. Cognitive-behavioral couple therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most prevalent and recognized to this day in most facets of psychology. This type of therapy usually linked to the cognitions, beliefs, expectations and thoughts of each subject , as well as in the behaviors derived from them. Thus, it is usual for divergences to work under this paradigm in terms of expectations in the relationship, the presence of behaviors that suppose suffering for one of the parties. Situations in which there is excessive control or low mutual reinforcement are worked on.
- Related article: "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: what is it and on what principles is it based?"
4. Humanistic couple therapy
Another type of couple therapy, perhaps less known than the previous ones, is based on the humanist approach. From this approach, it is sought that the members of the couple develop and optimize their potential, demolish masks and roles and self-discover themselves. It is considered to be the development of the individuality of each member of the couple which will lead to a stronger union between the two.
5. Other types of couples therapy
So far we have talked about different types of couples therapy based on the paradigm that is part, but these are not the only ones. We can find different ways of conceptualizing and taking therapy within these same paradigms.
For example, there is therapy focused on emotions (which seeks to improve the link from emotional expression and overcoming vicious circles of negative emotions) or the integral based on the acceptance and commitment of the problematic situation (for example, the condition of a chronic disorder). There are also therapies more focused on certain aspects of the relationship, such as with sexual therapy.
