Houston Couples Therapy & Relationship Counseling

Maintaining a healthy relationship that is able to weather a lifetime of stressors takes tremendous, ongoing effort and investment. Relationship ups and downs are normal, but couples may benefit from professional help when destructive patterns or disconnection threaten the relationship's trajectory and survival. A 2017 study showed that 49% of couples report having attended some form of counseling with their spouse. Below are common reasons couples seek treatment.

Affairs
Communication
Children
Parenting style
Work
Money/Debt
In-laws
Sexual intimacy
Domestic violence
Decision to break up or stay together
Pre-marital counseling

Research finds that couples therapy has a positive impact on 70% of couples seeking treatment, and outcomes for couples receiving therapy were shown to be vastly superior to those of couples not receiving treatment. Below are some common tasks in couples therapy.

Identifying destructive patterns
Improving healthy communication
Strengthening connection
Nurturing emotional vulnerability
Relationship patterns from our family of origin
Healing past wounds
Building trust
Creating a plan for relationship maintenance

Therapists will build a relationship with both partners, will never take sides, and will make sure each person feels heard, understood, and supported. The therapist sets and enforces clear ground rules for session communication to create a safe environment for each partner to voice thoughts and feelings without worsening current problems.

FAQs answered

Couples counseling is covered by most insurance and EAP plans.
You don't have to be married to attend couples counseling; many unmarried couples in relationships benefit from therapy.
Couples counseling does not always work towards keeping the relationship together. The therapist and couple with collaboratively identify goals, which may not always be to stay together.
Sex Therapy from a specially trained therapist may be requested.
Therapists with a special interest in working with LGBTQIA+ and Polyamorous relationships are available.

What are the different types of anxiety disorders?

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive and persistent worry that interferes with daily life. Relentless worry results in physical symptoms, like restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, exhaustion, and sleep problems. Topics of worry typically center on everyday matters, like appointments, home repairs, work responsibilities, and family health.

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent Panic Attacks. Panic attacks present with severe and overwhelming psychological and physical distress, involving some of the below symptoms.

What are the physical symptoms of Panic Disorder?

Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Muscle tension
Sweating
Shaking
Restlessness
Dizziness
Tightness in the chest
Numbness or tingling

What are the psychological symptoms of Panic Disorder?

Feeling like you’re having a heart attack
Feeling like you’re going to die
Feeling impending doom
Feeling like you’re going crazy
Feeling like you’re losing touch with reality
Fearing you’ll lose control of yourself
Constant worry about when you’ll have your next panic attack
Fear you’ll embarrass yourself

What are Phobias?

A specific phobia involves intense and persistent fear of a particular object, situation or activity that is generally not dangerous. The experienced distress is acute and leads sufferers to go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear.

What are common phobias?

Fear of driving
Fear of flying
Fear of vomiting
Fear of needles
Fear of confined spaces
Fear of being alone
Fear of leaving the house

What is Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is characterized by the fear of being trapped or stuck in circumstances in which escape may be difficult or embarrassing, or help might not be easily available. The fear is acutely distressing and interferes with normal daily activities. The person typically avoids the situation, needs a companion, or experiences extreme anxiety.

What are common situations agoraphobics fear?

Trembling
Crowds
Enclosed Spaces
Open Spaces
Public transportation
Leaving the home

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder ?

PTSD can develop after a severe physical or emotional trauma such as a sexual assault, natural disaster, or serious accident. Those with PTSD feel intensely upsetting thoughts and emotions connected to their traumatic experience that persist long after the situation happened.

What are PTSD symptoms?

The symptoms of PTSD can be categorized into four areas.

Intrusion – repeated, unwanted thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks of the event

Avoidance – steering clear of people, places, activities, and objects that are associated with the event.

Changes in cognition and mood – loss of interest, distorted thinking, difficulties concentrating, loss of certain memories, negative emotions, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, and anhedonia.

Changes in behavior – social withdrawal, anger outbursts, recklessness, sensitive startle response, problems sleeping.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social Anxiety Disorder involves excessive discomfort in social situations and a fear of experiencing embarrassment, judgment, humiliation, condescension, or rejection in social situations that can negatively impact work, school, and other daily activities. People with this disorder will try to avoid social situations or endure them with great anxiety.

What are commonly feared situations for those with social anxiety?

Commonly feared situations include attending parties, interacting at work, eating in public, or engaging in unscripted interactions.

What are common Social Anxiety symptoms?

Trembling
Blushing
Sweating
Rapid heartbeat
Mind goes blank
Stomachache
Speaks very softly
Avoids eye contact

What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?

Separation Anxiety Disorder is is characterized by excessive fear of being away from those we are close to, who are also called attachment persons.

What are signs of Separation Anxiety Disorder?

Anticipation of potential separation causes mounting fear
Persistent worry about the negative consequences resulting from separation
Obsessive focus on the multitude of situations that could lead to separation
Interferes with attending important activities, like work or school
Fears of sleeping outside the home and away from attachment persons
Nightmares about separation
Headaches, nausea, or vomiting

What is Selective Mutism?

Selective Mutism is a rare and debilitating childhood condition that involves a failure to speak in certain situations in which there is a natural expectation to speak. A child may talk at home, for example, and be nonverbal at school. The absence of spoken communication can significantly interfere with the child’s academic achievement and can stunt their social development and the formation of relationships with others. It is theorized that Selective Mutism may be an early and specific manifestation of Social Anxiety Disorder.

What are behaviors associated with Selective Mutism?