Why We're Different
As surprising as it may seem, a great many therapists who see couples in their practice have very little if any specialized training with couples. At best, most academic programs have only one class on couple therapy. There are many required courses to be taken and not enough time to go in-depth on any one specialization. So therapists graduate still needing lots of additional training and supervision in couple work. They must obtain this training on their own. Some do, many do not.
Add to that the fact that couple therapy is widely said to be more difficult than individual therapy. There are two clients to work with and they are often upset with each other. There are two people's histories to digest and conflicts between them to understand. Assuming the therapist makes good sense out of this, they must then be able to create a space where the couple can both feel heard, understood, supported, and helped to learn some new tools and skills that will help them achieve increased trust and closeness with each other.
At The Couple Center, we have had significant training in working with couples. We stay up on the latest research pertaining to close relationships and marriage. We attend Continuing Education seminars on couple therapy each year. We regularly collaborate with each other to address better ways of helping couples. We consult with each other when needed. And best of all, we really enjoy working with couples!