Relational Therapy
A true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on one another. Take steps towards improving your relationship today!
Are communication and disconnect ruining your committed relationship?
Attending Therapy with a Partner
Making space for relationship therapy is a wonderful way to enhance your bond and strengthen your communication skills.
Taking this first step is important to the future health of your relationship. Before your first session, you’ll be asked to complete some forms related to your history and current concerns.
You can attend schedule therapy sessions together or from separate locations via telehealth when schedules are difficult to coordinate!
Relationship therapy can benefit:
- healthy relationships in need of a tune-up
- relationships under stress
- relationships in trouble
- those preparing for marriage or cohabitation
- partners heal and help move on when relationships end
At Skill Spark Therapy, we help couples with diverse needs and provide a safe space to explore all types of relationships and topics including:
- Intimacy and communication issues
- Sexual issues and mismatched desire
- Recovering from infidelity and betrayal
- Parenting and household management conflicts
- Relationship boundaries
Reasons for Relationship Therapy
Communication Issues
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Poor communication leads to conflict and misunderstanding. Slowly it can lead to a breakdown in the relationship. Couples therapy can help restore effective communication between partners.
Sexual Issues
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Couples therapy can benefit those who experience sexual difficulties, differences in expectations around sex, or are recovering from past sexual trauma.
Partner Infidelity
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Couples who have experienced infidelity are experiencing a range of strong emotions. Those couples who are experiencing infidelity, trying to recover from an affair, or want to consciously uncouple after an affair will find benefit in couples therapy.
Feeling Disconnected
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Sometimes one or both individuals in a couple feel disconnected, lack the spark they once had, or feel they are growing apart. In therapy, couples can explore ways to reconnect with one another and improve and enrich their relationship.
Premarital Counseling
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Starting a marriage off on the right foot is the best gift you can give your relationship. Identifying areas of strength and alignment as well as uncovering areas of potential conflict or differences in values and coming up a with plan to manage them before meeting at the altar.
Trust Problems
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Couples can greatly benefit from therapy when trust has been broken and needs to be repaired in order for the relationship to thrive.
The Costs and Payment Options Available for Relational Therapy
Private Pay Relational Therapy
Clients pay for services out of pocket without the involvement of third party insurers.
This results in more privacy and freedom to design services that meet client needs and preferences.
Oftentimes, medical insurance plans exclude or undervalue relational therapy leaving clients with few options for care or very limited services.
Commercial insurance plans often exclude treatment for issues stemming from life or relationships concerns.
Unless you also have an assigned mental health diagnosis that is of clinical focus, insurance companies may deny treatment.
Relational therapy is about the relationship itself, and is different from treating a mental illness within the context of relationship.
If as partners in therapy, you’d prefer that:
- relationship be the sole focus of treatment
- more privacy is possible without third party involvement in your care
- more options for treatment than commercial insurance covers
- treatment is optimized for the relationship without attaching pathology to one partner or the other
Private pay may be a great option.
Insurance Based Relational Therapy
Clients choose to submit claims to commercial insurance for reimbursement with one partner carrying an official mental health diagnosis for insurance purposes.
Clients are responsible to pay for any deductibles, co-pays, or co-insurance outlined in their benefit plan.
In this case, the client’s insurance plan will pay for services as outlined in member benefits.
Typically, session length, # of covered sessions, and acceptable diagnoses are set by the insurance plan and adhere to those service limits.
This option is often elected by partners when:
- one partner’s mental health condition is the overarching presenting concern that is impacting the relationship and focus of treatment
- partners do not mind involvement of insurance in their treatment
- services are not accessible through other means and private pay isn’t an affordable option
Note: Clients may still be responsible for out of pocket costs associated with treatment. These costs can include: deductibles, co-payments, or co-insurance as indicated by the insurance benefit plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we really need relational counseling?
According to Dr. John Gottman, relationship and marriage expert, couples wait for an average of six years of being unhappy before getting help. At Skill Spark, we help couples rediscover each other, reconnect in a meaningful way, reduce stress and pain, prevent further conflicts, resolve issues and heal from past hurts. Although relationship counseling is hard work and there are no guarantees, it’s worth taking the time to invest in your relationship and make improvements.
It is important to seek help as soon as you are able. The longer you wait to resolve or address relationship issues, the more negative feelings and hurt compound and poison your relationship. You have a better chance at feeling satisfied with your therapy outcomes if you pursue relational therapy earlier on in your struggles rather than waiting until long-term resentments and unhappiness are present.
Does Skill Spark Therapy support or have experience with open relationships or non-monogamy?
Absolutely, Skill Spark often serves couples with relationship styles that include non-monogamy and open relational boundaries. It is particularly important to ensure you work on creating healthy attachment patterns and build communication and respect in your primary or nesting relationship.
I’m LGBTQIA+ and have felt uncomfortable seeking relational therapy because I am not sure if the therapist is affirming of my relationship…
At Skill Spark Therapy we support ALL relationships. It’s that simple! Skill Spark Therapy embraces the believe that LOVE is LOVE! In fact, 40% of those who seek relational counseling at Skill Spark Therapy currently identify as LGBTQIA+.
How do I to request my first appointment and complete intake paperwork?
After selecting the “Request Appointment” button and choosing an open time that works for you, submit your request. You’ll receive a confirmation of your appointment time from “myprovider@simplepractice.com” after the therapist confirms your session request. Thereafter, you will receive an electronic link to complete intake documents via the secure client portal.
What can I expect during a relational therapy session?
At Skill Spark Therapy, we specialize in helping couples build healthier relationship patterns. You can expect your therapist to be warm, non-judgmental, and neutral without taking “sides” with any one partner in the relationship. The first session is all about getting to know who you are as a couple. Your therapist will ask a series of questions to gather history about your relationship and current problems.Thereafter, the therapist will may choose to meet with each partner individually to get an idea of each partner’s perception of the relationship and ask the couple to complete a series of relationship assessments to better understand the current relationship dynamic. By the third session, your therapist is working with you to decide on treatment goals and cover the major areas of the relationship that most need to improve to facilitate repair in the partnership.
How long will relational therapy be needed?
Most couples attend an average of 10-12 therapy sessions and schedule a tune-up session six months after therapy has ended to make sure the improvements made stay on track. Some clients attend more long-term therapy for more complex concerns while others only require a few sessions to work on some targeted issues in their relationship.
What happens between sessions?
Between most therapy sessions, your therapist will have a focus or activity for you to engage in that works on specific goals you have for your relationship. This could include materials provided by the therapist, handouts, journal reflections to complete, or specific experiences or conversations to have between sessions.
What if my partner won’t attend therapy?
Sometimes one partner has checked out of the relationship or doesn’t believe in attending couples therapy. In these cases, therapy can still be beneficial on an individual level. It is true that some couples simply wait too long to get the help they need. You can still find value in attending therapy individually instead. Check out options for individual therapy.
What if my partner has already ended the relationship?
If your relationship is indeed over or one partner has decided to leave, relationship therapy this can feel particularly heartbreaking. At this point, you may feel very intense emotions, grief, sadness, and anger are common. Relational therapy can still help facilitate closure, keep communication lines open, help partners heal from past hurts, and consciously uncouple in a healthier way. If your partner is willing to attend therapy, great! If not, you can still seek individual therapy instead.
Timing is everything
Skill Spark can support you throughout the entire process of rebuilding trust, intimacy, and communication in your relationship. Relational therapy can help you process plus gain insight and perspective on your situation as you learn strategies that will help heal emotional wounds.
At Skill Spark experienced therapists specialize in guiding couples through difficult times. If you have hit a wall in your relationship, contact us today to learn more about how working with a couples counselor can help.
References
https://www.gottman.com/blog/timing-is-everything-when-it-comes-to-marriage-counseling/
https://www.verywellmind.com/does-marriage-counseling-work-2300428
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-relationship-counseling-4694545
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(651) 234-0894
MN 55125