The Benefits Of Couple Therapy: The Strengths Of Relationships

Relationships require constant practice and communication in order to be successful. Couple therapy is helpful because it gives people these relationship skills, for each partner to practice, that lead to success. The purpose of Gottman’s method is a couple’s therapy that focuses on communication and clarification. Gottman’s method has many benefits which enhance friendship, manage conflict and create shared goals. However, this method also has weaknesses, specifically for clients who are not as engaged in the therapy. Even with the problems of this method, I can still see the benefits of these skills for any couple. In my own life I have a girlfriend and we have utilized some of these methods that Gottman has taught which have helped us grow

The main weakness of this method is also its strength, it focuses on the couple. While this method may help some couples to get their ideas out there, it can make other couples remain silent. Specifically, if a relationship has someone who does not want to be at therapy, they may not be willing to engage in dialogue since they will not see its benefits. Therefore, since the therapist is mainly trying to stay out of the conversation, the client may not be pushed to speak up. Additionally, they may feel as though there are no benefits for the therapy since they have to solve their own problems. This could discourage them from ever coming back to therapy and can lead to more arguments. Another weakness of this method is that it requires engaged individuals who are able to empathize with their partner. This method requires the couple to be able to understand what their significant other is saying. For those who are not capable of seeing things from another’s point of view this would be a challenging task. Furthermore, the therapist using this method would focus on having the partners figure out what their significant other was saying they won’t analyze the conversation themselves. Therefore, if no one analyzes what the speaker is saying they may feel defeated and no longer try to describe their