What are the Different Types of Marriage Counseling?

Posted by: Dr. Justin D'Arienzo, Psy.D., ABPP

If you are reading this article you are likely seeking information about marriage counseling and whether or not it is possible to save your marriage with this this type of therapy. The good news is that most couples who participate in couples therapy are successful in repairing their marriages with the assistance of a professional.  What are the Different Types of Marriage Counseling? was written by future Psychologist, Brandon Araujo, for the D’Arienzo Psychological Group in December 2014, to help you to quickly understand the different types of couples counseling methods available to you and your partner. Please contact us if you need more information about these modalities. Our professionals offer each of these methods to either assist you in saving your marriage or enhancing your connection and overall relationship.

There are many forms of couples therapy that can drastically vary in the methods used to address the situation at hand. It is very important for couples who are considering couples counseling to learn about the different types of marriage therapies that are offered in order to determine which style would be the best fit for their specific situation and personalities. The following therapeutic approaches are among some of the most popular and effective.

Gottman Method: The Gottman Method is a scientifically structured form of therapy that combines therapeutic interventions with research-oriented exercises in order to pursue a solution. The main goals of this form of therapy are to achieve a deep sense of understanding, respect, empathy, and to overcome barriers that create a sense of complacency in a relationship.

Emotion Focused Therapy: Emotion focused therapy, as the name implies, focuses on understanding and controlling emotions. Each spouse is encouraged to discuss their emotions in a judgment free environment in order to gain new knowledge and perspective about their partner’s emotional reactions. The main goals of this therapy are to create a strong bond between partners, learn effective communication skills, and develop a sense of trust.

Solution Focused Therapy: Solution focused therapy (SFT) is very organized and goal oriented. Rather than focusing on the effects of the issue this form of therapy targets a desired outcome and creates a structured plan to attain that outcome.  This therapy strives to provide clients with tools and skills that will assist them in dealing with their daily life challenges.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) involves forming a strong relationship with the therapist and exploring the primary cause of the relational problems. This therapy encourages individuals to challenge their perception, beliefs, feelings, and thoughts in order to discover the root of their behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most popular and effective forms of therapy.

Systems Therapy: Systems therapy uses complex techniques to investigate each individual’s role within a relationship.  This therapy analyzes specific behaviors of individuals and how these behaviors affect the relationship in order to transform counterproductive behaviors into beneficial behaviors.

I do hope this article helped explain to you the most well-known and effective methods of marriage counseling used by family psychologists, couples therapists, and marriage counselors. We hope the article also provided a basic understanding of how marriage counseling works as well. Again, there are several other different types of couples therapy but we provided you with the most effective and most common.

D’Arienzo Psychological Group has five relationship experts ready to serve you today. We can be reached at 904-379-8094 in Jacksonville, Florida.