We offer couple therapy & marriage counselling in Dubai at our CHMC clinics. Good relationships are profoundly rewarding. In such relationships, we feel safe and secure, loved, understood, appreciated, and supported. Scientists link good relationships with better mental and physical health, positive parenting, and good job performance. Most relationships begin with a great deal of positivity and mutual support; however, over the years dysfunction and unhappiness can creep into a relationship/marriage and even result in a divorce. Western research finding state that the most cited reason for divorce was that people were seeking personal happiness.
Focus of couple therapy & marriage counselling
Couple therapy & marriage counseling in Dubai focuses on many aspects of the relationship. Couples and marriage counsellors are specialists who work with couples to uncover relationship dynamics and patterns, improve communication, reduce dysfunction, and facilitate happiness. During couple therapy and marriage counselling an insightful counsellor helps people gain understanding about themselves and their relationship by encouraging a holistic view. Family and marriage therapists take many factors into consideration in their work with couples. The socio-cultural context, as well as the impact how you were parented and how the parents treated each other, gender differences, individual differences, and the challenges of modern life are all areas of relevance in couple’s counselling.
A safe setting for marriage counselling
Couple therapy & marriage counselling in Dubai offers a safe setting. In the safety of a couple’s therapy and session, couples are empowered to communicate openly about their feelings and needs. Counselling helps bringing up unspoken issues to the forefront and facilitates addressing them. Past incidents/disappointment are processed, so this “extra baggage” can be put down and not continue to intrude on the present. It is through open communication that couples move forward in a positive way.
What to expect during Couple therapy & marriage counselling in Dubai
Your therapist will impart information on improving general communication and advanced communication skills. During couple therapy & marriage counseling in Dubai the differences between functional and dysfunctional relationships and life-styles are emphasized. When couples have children, a counsellor will also address parenting issues that cause conflict and impart basic positive parenting techniques. Counsellors also give information on positive conflict resolution techniques and the basics of solution focused discussion. A counsellor will emphasize and encourage the four basic elements required for a healthy relationship: *Respect*Honesty*Equality*Communication*
Today’s couple therapy & marriage counsellors have the advantage of having a vast amount of research findings at their disposal to be aware of consistent patterns within couple & marriages or relationships. Couple’s counsellors in Dubai help couples identify dysfunctional patterns of behaviour, so the couple can replace them with functional patterns of behaviour. The end goal is to facilitate marital stability and happiness, and to highlight that relationships require ongoing attention.
Dr. John Gottman on couple therapy and marriage
Dr. John Gottman, Annu. Rev. Psychol. 1998, 49:169-97 in Psychology and the Study of Marital Processes discussed the following research findings. Dr. Gottman has extensively studied marital relationships applying sound, scientific methodology in what he called his “love lab.”
Unhappy Couple
- show greater negative expression of emotions or feelings towards oneself.
- they have a higher ratio of negativity than positivity.
- have more negative views on their spouses or other important people.
- show criticism, defensiveness, contempt and stonewalling (withdrawal).
- show more patterns of “wife demanding and husband withdrawing.”
- think negatively about your partners and create negative narratives about their marriage.
- have greater physiological arousal (blood pressure, sweat, etc.) than happy marriages.
Happy Couple
- turn to yourselves. During their daily interaction, partners “turn” towards each other, not “turn away”. Basically, it means that interest, excitement, and irritability are shared and answered.
- they heal each other physiologically (blood pressure, sweat, etc.). During daily discussions and casual conversation, partners comfort each other with interest, affection, appreciation, empathy, humor, etc.
- create a “love map”. Here, each partner knows his partner’s world and constantly updates this knowledge. A husband’s love map is especially important for long-term happiness.
- show admiration and sympathy. Marriage partners show each other spontaneous admiration and affection.
- accept repair attempts. This means that apologies (verbal, humorous, gift etc.) are accepted and tension is dissipated.
- Here, partners tended to gently tackle controversial topics. These positive start-ups prevent emotional flooding and physiological arousal (blood pressure, sweat, etc.).
- Husbands, in particular, benefit from the soft start.
- influence each other respectfully. The conflict is mitigated by assertive persuasion to find a solution.
- show a positive effect. This means there is a lot of interest, affection, humor, and appreciation.
Read more:
Psychodynamic Therapy in Couple Counselling
Collusions. Psychodynamic Concept of Relationships
Tension, Conflicts, Divorce. Addressing Infidelity
Reasearch on Marriage Counselling
Diana Tutschek
Clinical Psychologist, Marriage & Family Counselor
(British Board)
Call +971 4 457 4240
Sources
The Gottman Institute: https://www.gottman.com/
Gottman, John: Annu. Rev. Psychol. 1998, 49:169-97
Lauer, Robert H. (1994). Marriage and family: the quest for intimacy. Madison, Wis.Brown & Benchmark,