{"id":10106,"date":"2023-08-04T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T10:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/?page_id=10106"},"modified":"2025-02-07T11:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T11:47:12","slug":"couples-counseling","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/treatment\/addiction-therapies\/couples-counseling\/","title":{"rendered":"Couples Therapy in Addiction Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The use of couples therapy during addiction treatment can be beneficial. Couples impacted by addiction face several obstacles that may benefit from the professional support of a counselor.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Recovery from drug or\u00a0<a href=\"\/alcohol\/addiction\/\">alcohol addiction<\/a>\u00a0is a personal process, but for those in relationships, additional counseling with your partner may be helpful.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/treatment-program\/addiction-therapies\/couples-counseling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Couples counseling<\/a>\u00a0can help partners relate to each other and understand the struggles they are experiencing as individuals. One important part of the work in couples counseling is to identify how addiction affects a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/resources\/family-and-friends\/do-people-with-addiction-love\/\">relationship<\/a>. Exploring the impact that addiction has can help guide a couple toward the areas that need healing in the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">What Is Couples Therapy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Being in a relationship with a person addicted to drugs or anyone with a serious addiction is difficult. By the time&nbsp;<a href=\"\/treatment\/\">treatment<\/a>&nbsp;has been sought, there have often been countless disappointments, episodes of dishonesty and periods of resentment. Relationship counseling and couples therapy for alcoholism and other addictions is crucial in order to heal these resentments and work through the distrust that has naturally occurred as part of the disease of addiction. A couple who have been having relationship problems and seek the professional guidance of a therapist to help them work through their challenges stand a better chance of making it through the recovery process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Types of Couples Therapy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">There are many different types of couples therapy and couples therapy techniques. The best treatment approach largely depends on the individual needs of the couple and what the counselor deems appropriate. Types of couples therapy include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Emotionally focused couples therapy helps couples identify the underlying insecurities of conflict within the relationship and new ways to communicate feelings and support one another. Addiction-focused couples therapy engages couples in a similar way around the impact of addiction on the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Behavioral Couples Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2851021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Behavioral couples therapy<\/a>&nbsp;is a treatment specifically for couples struggling with addiction. The therapy centers around correcting dysfunctional relationship patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Gottman Couples Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Marital therapy through the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gottman.com\/about\/the-gottman-method\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gottman couples therapy<\/a>&nbsp;approach uses the idea of building on the basic framework of friendship, conflict management, and shared meaning to strengthen relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Narrative Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Narrative therapy and narrative therapy techniques are beneficial in helping people separate themselves from their problems rather than becoming enmeshed with them. This can help couples in recovery to identify the issues as separate and solvable rather than being an intrinsic part of the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Positive Psychology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/what-is-positive-psychology-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Positive psychology<\/a>&nbsp;reframes the focus of the relationship from problem-centered to strengths-based. The effects of positive psychology have been vast and this has expanded the view of how therapy can be successful. Positive psychology helps couples focus on what is working well for a couple by understanding the positive traits each person brings to the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">How Couples Counseling Supplements Addiction Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Couples in recovery face a long journey. The effects of drug abuse on family relationships are significant and the process of healing from these effects takes effort and commitment. Issues such as intimacy in alcoholic relationships are common and require the rebuilding of trust and connection. Even when one person has addiction issues in the relationship, both people can benefit from couples counseling to address the injuries that the addiction caused. In addition to the personal journey of recovery, the individual struggling with addiction must also work through relationship challenges. Couples counseling can help non-addicted partners learn more about addiction and ways to avoid enabling. It can also be helpful to learn ways to take care of oneself and to keep perspective on the illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Benefits of Involving Significant Others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">The benefits of couples therapy during recovery are extensive, not only for the person recovering from addiction but for the partner who has also been injured by the effects of the addiction. Couples in recovery meetings who are dealing with&nbsp;<a href=\"\/alcohol\/\">alcoholism<\/a>&nbsp;in a relationship are well aware of the challenges that lie ahead. Discussing these challenges and obtaining support gives couples an opportunity to feel connected to others and less isolated by their challenges. It also unifies the couple and enables them to have difficult conversations that might otherwise be avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Is Couples Therapy Effective?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\">Couples addiction recovery is effective and highly recommended. Whether you\u2019re just starting a relationship with someone in recovery or you\u2019ve been in a long-term relationship in which addiction has been a challenge, the use of couples therapy can reduce the negative impact of addiction on the relationship. Couples counseling for people with addiction offers a safe venue to talk about the dynamics of the relationship and how to heal from the impact of addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\" wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper\">Finding Addiction Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>If addiction is impacting your relationship, there are many treatment and counseling options available. A drug addiction treatment center can help you or your partner find lasting recovery and kickstart a lifetime of emotional healing.&nbsp;<a href=\"\/about-us\/\">The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health<\/a>&nbsp;offers comprehensive treatment options in South Florida. A specialist at the center can help you create an&nbsp;<a href=\"\/treatment\/aftercare\/\">aftercare<\/a>&nbsp;plan that includes couples counseling.&nbsp;<a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">Reach out<\/a> to The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health to learn more about treatment options today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The use of couples therapy during addiction treatment can be beneficial. Couples impacted by addiction face several obstacles that may benefit from the professional support of a counselor. Recovery from drug or\u00a0alcohol addiction\u00a0is a personal process, but for those in relationships, additional counseling with your partner may be helpful.\u00a0Couples counseling\u00a0can help partners relate to each [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":9939,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10106","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"written_by":321,"enable_medically_and_up":["Yes"],"medically_reviewed_by":466,"medically_reviewed_content":"This article was reviewed by a medical professional to guarantee the delivery of accurate and up-to- date information. <a href=\"\/research\/\">View our research policy.<\/a>","up_to_date":"<i>Last Updated<\/i> - <b>07\/15\/20<\/b>","page_first_published_date":"20200715","page_last_edit_date":"20200715","highlighted_description":"If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling <a href=\"tel:8886480738\" ><b>888-648-0738<\/b><\/a> now.","key_takeaways":"","source":{"source_label":"View Sources","source_content":"Fals-Steward, William, Ph.D; O\u2019Farrell, Timothy J., Ph.D; Birchler, Gary R., Ph.D. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2851021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cBehavioral Couples Therapy for Substance Abuse: Rationale, Methods, and Findings.\u201d<\/a> The National Institutes of Health, August 2004. Accessed September 20, 2019.\r\n\r\nGottman.com. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gottman.com\/about\/the-gottman-method\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Gottman Method.<\/a>\u201d Accessed September 20, 2019.\r\n\r\nAckerman, Courtney. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/what-is-positive-psychology-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is Positive Psychology &amp; Why is It Important?<\/a>\u201d PositivePsychology.com, July 10, 2019. Accessed September 20, 2019."},"staff_member_heading":"Authorship","staff_member":[{"staff_member_title":"Editor","select_staff_member":321},{"staff_member_title":"Medically Reviewed By ","select_staff_member":466}],"insurance_label":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/10106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/10106\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/9939"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/466"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}