4. When Dealing With Infidelity
Some couples come back from cheating and end up closer than ever. Some can never get past it. When infidelity strikes your union, you will probably need help learning to forgive the betrayal. Then you’ll have to work to rebuild trust. All of that takes a ton of communication and love, and the ability to be sad and angry in a healthy and constructive way. It’s complicated stuff and there’s no shame in needing guide.
5. Before A Breakup
Most couples think of therapy as the last straw to grasp at before the big breakup. Couples therapy is not a magic wand for a broken relationship, but it can help you understand what’s not working, which is essential if you want to save your love. And if you discover in therapy that you truly shouldn’t stay together, you’ll have a built-in safety net for ending things amicably and talking out your feelings.
6. When You And/Or Your Partner Is Dealing With Mental Illness
If you’re already in therapy because you suffer from depression, anxiety, or other common brain disorders, you might want to bring your partner into the fold. Your therapist can help your partner understand your triggers and symptoms, which I can say from experience is both eye-opening and life-saving. Not everyone in therapy has a mental illness, but for those who do, having an experienced professional to guide your partner through the ups and downs is a big plus.
7. When You’re Furiously Happy
You can take a page from Bell and Shepard’s book and go to therapy as a way to keep everything running smoothly instead of a way to fix what’s already broken. It’s kind of hard to get lost in the day to day and forget to process your feelings with your partner if you have a standing appointment to do so. Plus, the trust it takes to be so honest and so willing to make your relationship great is totally sexy.
And sometimes it’s just nice to have a witness to the ridiculous shenanigans involved in making a life together. And a professional can give you a better opinion than your Facebook friends can.
Curated by Erbe
Original Article