In the past, couples therapy used to carry this negative impression. People assumed that couples who opt for therapy are on the brink of splitting up. In fact, some even perceived it as a last-ditch effort when nothing else worked out.
Thankfully, society has come a long way from there, and couples therapy is normalised as an integral part of building a healthy relationship.
If you’re curious about what made this transition happen, here are all the reasons.
1. More Mental Health Awareness
Mental health has always been stigmatised across multiple cultures. However, with the rising efforts of activists, it is no longer a taboo topic.
Nowadays, individuals are transparent about their issues and are open about the need for therapy to work on past trauma and mental health challenges.
Couples perceive therapy as a path to strengthen their bond and enhance emotional health. Nobody feels embarrassed or judged about needing therapy.
2. Greater Relationship Expectations
Earlier, relationships and marriages were transactional, where the man earned a living while the woman took on a nurturing role, taking care of the household. Each of them focused on their duties and never probed beyond them.
Modern couples, on the flip side, have high expectations of each other. Bonds are no longer set on transactional rules. People want their partner to be a passionate lover, best friend, co-parent, and intellectual companion.
Couples seek emotional satisfaction, clear communication, understanding, and a sense of having a shared purpose. They want to be happy together.
If any of these are amiss, partners are bound to feel unfulfilled, frustrated, and question their worth. To improve their relationship and make their bond fulfilling, they seek couples therapy.
If you’re also struggling in your romantic life, consider professional services like Sydney relationship counselling. A reliable expert helps you navigate your concerns, align expectations, and learn to work on disagreements without any blame game, guilt trip, or resentment.
3. Constant Digital Connectivity
The world is hyperconnected through social media. Everyone knows what’s up in their social circle with just a few taps.
Everyone posts about the best part of their life: blissful moments, flawless looks, and special milestones.
When people see others posting about lavish lives, they feel low, get jealous, compare themselves with others, feel inadequate, and experience the fear of missing out.
Such feelings can deeply affect an individual’s love life. For instance, a woman might feel disappointed because her man never took her on a lavish date. A man might feel disappointed because his coworker’s wedding was more lavish than his. Thus begins the blame game among couples for the slightest things.
Moreover, constant connectivity also blurs work-life boundaries with work emails and messages. It distracts people from being present and spending quality time in their relationships.
Dealing with such issues is possible only when partners give couples therapy a try. This helps them develop healthy and realistic expectations. It guides them on navigating digital platforms and setting healthy work-life boundaries.
4. Inadequate Support Systems
People often move out of their hometown for career opportunities. While the city is definitely charming, people leave behind the strong support system of family or a close-knit community where they could once seek help for relationship troubles.
They feel isolated in the city, and couples therapy is the only way to get help. Professionals take a neutral and unbiased stance on their issues and guide them with proven strategies to work things out.
5. Preventive Approach, Not Crisis Management
Another reason why couples therapy is becoming so normal is that couples don’t perceive it as a way to fix their relationship after a crisis like divorce talks, cheating, abuse, or other irreconcilable issues.
Modern couples consider therapy when something goes amiss or when they have uncomfortable feelings,i.e., much before things go downhill.
This can be for life transitions like marriage preparations, parenthood, a move across the country, fixing communication issues, learning better conflict resolution tactics, and deepening their connection.
Couples consider therapy as a mode of investing in their bond and building a strong connection together.
6. Improved Affordability and Accessibility
Earlier, even if couples want to visit therapy, they don’t because in-person sessions are either too expensive or the centre is too far for them.
Thanks to the growth of telehealth, many providers are also offering online counselling services over platforms like Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, and FaceTime.
Couples can access therapists from the comfort of their home, saving time and expenses on commuting. Once they get over their reservations about therapy, the sessions become as normal as breathing.
Closing Thoughts
Couples therapy is no longer shameful or scandalous. Rather, it shows your willingness to make your connection work. So, don’t hesitate and book your appointment with a mental health professional and make your love life flourish.
