Marital therapy is one of the branches of psychotherapy, and is concerned with treating conflicts in relationships between couples. The beginnings of the emergence of this specialty were in Germany in the twenties of the last century, and then in the United States of America. As a result of the influence of industrial and civilizational progress in the West on the form of family relations, marital therapy appeared and developed rapidly. After marital problems were treated until the fifties of the last century through friends and family members of the spouses or clerics, they are now treated by specialists in this field.
When do we need marital therapy? When the intensity and recurrence of problems between spouses increase as a result of intense and continuous discussions between the spouses, as well as when the relationship is characterized by continuous conflict as a result of failure to solve problems or lack of trust between them, or when communication between them becomes superficial, or when both spouses lack good communication skills. In addition to placing one of the parties responsible for the occurrence of conflicts on the other party, without realizing its responsibility for the outbreak of these conflicts. Likewise, if an emotional divorce occurs between the two parties, or when the spouses separate from each other without the actual divorce taking place, or when the two parties decide to initiate an actual divorce. Couples also need marital therapy when the husband has multiple illegitimate relationships. Also, when verbal or physical abuse occurs from the stronger party to the weaker party in the marital relationship, and finally when there is no sexual relationship between the spouses.
What is the goal of marital therapy? Marital therapy aims to develop good communication skills between spouses, and to increase each party’s awareness of their responsibility for the occurrence of conflicts between them. It also aims for the spouses to learn the skills of reducing behaviors that ultimately lead to harming one party to the other, with the necessity of taking the necessary pledges on each of the parties to the relationship to implement the agreements reached between the two parties. The therapist also seeks to rebuild a positive image of the partner after suffering from the rejection of the other party in the relationship, and is also interested in resolving sexual problems between them. Finally, when it is impossible for the spouses to continue in the relationship, the aim of the treatment is to accept the termination of the relationship in a manner consistent with dispersing with kindness.
Does marital therapy help in the premarital stage? Yes, this can be achieved within the framework of marital counseling sessions, as the therapist helps the service applicant to identify his desires that he dreams of being satisfied by his partner. This guiding process helps the person understand himself and what he is looking for in the other party, which contributes to reducing the risks of relationship failure and actual engagement after marriage.
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