How to Broach Therapy with your Partner
It’s never easy to discuss the prospect of therapy with a partner. There are many factors to c contend with. Perhaps one partner is very resistant to the idea of therapy for a number of reasons. Some people think of therapy as an admission of failure or shame. Or possibly communication has become increasingly difficult between the two parties, making even the idea of a possible solution that much more difficult.
Unfortunately, these obstacles need to be overcome in order for real progress to occur. Problems, especially deeply-entrenched ones, don’t tend to fix themselves. They only worsen and harden like a rock. Both people can become apathetic as well, feeling it’s almost better to avoid the problem than deal with it head-on.
Bringing up the idea of therapy can be difficult, but no more difficult than the problem itself. It’s best to have a designated amount of time to discuss the possibility of therapy with your partner. Sit down with them and explain that you’d like to pursue this path and you’d really like them to consider it. There’s information you can share with your partner about the efficacy of therapy, such as this site, where they see for themselves what therapy has to offer nowadays.
If they are not interested in traditional couples counseling, you can offer several alternatives. While therapy may have a stigma attached to it for some, alternative approaches may open an otherwise closed door.
Ultimately, you can’t drag your partner to therapy, no matter how much you’d like! The best you can do is suggest it and outline your ideas about it. If they are still reticent, you always have the option to seek counseling yourself, which is a solid, productive first step.
