Expression and Release Via Couples Counseling
Many of us today quietly suffer in one form or the other. We’re a stoic society that has learned to withhold; to “grin and bear it” and keep a “stiff upper lip.” Expressing our emotions is either seen as a weakness or an eccentricity. Certainly in the workplace, being restrained is seen as being professional. The problem is when we apply these same rules to our relationships, which are based on emotional reciprocity. That’s where couples counseling comes into play.
As one counselor put it:
Of course, many people enter counseling afraid to open up. We often spend the first session in silence, it seems! But slowly, once one partner begins revealing his or her true emotional self, then its as if a whole other person emerges and the other partner often follows suit. You can almost see the relief on their faces.
You see, nobody likes to be repressed. But we’re taught it at an early age. And it’s a crying shame (literally), because we cut off such a vital part of ourselves. Couples counseling allows both partners to let their true selves shine through. Maybe its via anger or sometimes rage. Maybe its through grief. But finally, their true emotions are allowed to flow through them in a safe environment. I can’t tell you how relieved these couples seem after they allow such release. It’s as if a new person has been born…or reborn.
Couples therapy allows two people to openly talk about their marriage in a way that’s based on authentic expression. That authentic expression brings relief to even the most embedded emotional problems. No drugs needed, no other forms of escape. This type of expression simply allows you to be your true self, with your loved one.
