Couple therapy engages two people in intimate relationships who are facing difficulties and want to resolve them. The couple may be partnered, dating, engaged or married.

The primary therapeutic orientation used in couples counselling is cognitive behavioural therapy. The couples meet with the therapist to discuss the aspects and conflicts of their relationships that they want to change.

The therapists help them see the way in which their actions, beliefs, and backgrounds create problems in their relationships. In this post, you will get complete details about the primary form of therapeutic orientation, which is cognitive behavioural therapy.

What is the cognitive behavioural therapy

cognitive behavioural therapy is a special treatment used to make changes by challenging the thoughts and aspects that may destroy your relationships. This therapy is used to deal with various relationships and personal issues.

It is used under the mood disorders treatment. It also helps to deal with the problems that are caused and affect human beings badly by maladaptive thoughts.

CBT: Combination of cognitive therapy and the behavioural therapy

As we already told you, the primary therapeutic orientation used in couples counselling is cognitive behavioural therapy. This therapy is versatile and can be used to solve a wide range of problems.

It is best for couple therapy because there are many couples who face issues in their relationships. Still, they want to change their thoughts, feeling, and behaviours to make their strong relationships.

  1. Cognitive therapy

The purpose of cognitive therapy is to change the way in which you think about the problem and later cause concerns.

  • Negative thoughts lead the behaviours and self-destructive feelings. For example, if someone thinks that they are unworthy of respect and love, they leave the social situations and behave with a shy nature.
  • Cognitive therapy helps to challenge these negative thoughts and offers healthy strategies to you.
  1. Behavioural therapy

The purpose of behavioural therapy is to teach your skills and techniques to change your behaviour.

  • For instance, a person of shy nature at the party has negative feelings and thoughts about themselves.
  • Behavioural therapy helps you to make helpful behaviours. For example, you learn the conversational skills that you practice in behavioural therapy and social conditions.
  • Negative feelings and thoughts are reduced through this therapy, and it helps you enjoy social situations.

Setup of cognitive behavioural therapy for couples

The primary therapeutic orientation used in couples counselling is a cognitive behavioural therapy that processes for the couples are different from individual therapy. The setup depends on the fact that you and your partners are different people and make up the couple together. It means that the three different individuals are required through the therapeutic process.

During the therapy session, the therapists try to make the interaction between the two individuals make them happy partners.

1. Couples as the different individuals

Even if the two people are in a relationship, then also they are considered as the two different identities. You will be required to work together as a couple, but you will also be required to find the issues that create the problems in your relationships.

2. Couple as the unique individuals

Many people create trouble in their minds but do not discuss it with their partners, causing problems in their relationships. It is meant for the couple as a unique entity.

The couples must remember that they and their partners have the same interactions and characteristics as the couple, and they may or may not have as two different individuals.

For example, the two people are career minded. On the other hand, when you are in a relationship and functioning as a couple, you should be fun-oriented. It would be best if you also worked to share the advanced business.

In this way, the couple made of you and your partner can easily exist in different groups or types from each person as an individual. In CBT therapy, you may speak as part of the couple and speak regarding individuality.

Who provides the CBT?

Physiologists, therapists, mental health social workers,  and counsellors provide CBT. They provide CBT either in one-to-one sessions, in small groups, or on the internet. In this, they teach you to logically look at the evidence for your negative feelings and thoughts.

If your nature is shy and you see the world from only negative aspects, then it helps you to adjust the way in which you view the world. It has been determined that many couples prefer to go to a therapist to make their relationships strong.

Final verdict

CBT involves close working relationships between professionals and individuals who want to change their thoughts, behaviours, and feelings. If you do not feel comfortable discussing your problem with therapists, then you should find another one.