Couples Therapy
About This Service
Couples therapy focuses on two people in a romantic relationship and defines the client as the couple. During couples therapy, the therapist assists the couple in identifying and addressing relationship issues. The goal is for the couple to improve their ability to healthily relate with one another and to build the partnership and life with one another they wish to build.
Couples therapy is often sought by partners when there is a decrease in relationship satisfaction, one or both partners find it difficult to meet relationship expectations and wants, and/or a recent stressor has significantly impacted the couple's life. Couples who attend and participate in couples therapy often focus on improving their:
* Understanding of their relationship, including how and why they think, feel, and act the way they do
as partners
* Knowledge of their relationship issues, including the ways in which perception, habits, and
expectations affect their ability to relate to one another
* Awareness of the impact of any stressors they are experiencing as individuals and as partners,
including how such stressors impact themselves and the person they've chosen to share their life
with
In order to do this, couples frequently:
* Identify and replace unhealthy thoughts and thinking patterns with healthy thoughts and thinking
patterns that can improve and sustain their relationship
* Learn more about the role of feelings in decision-making and harness the power of feeling to
improve their life as a couple
* Make better choices so they can improve the quality of their relationship and increase their ability
to live together the way they wish
Scheduling and Payment
Optimum Living Psychology, PLLC accepts both self-pay and insurance benefits. OLP, PLLC is contracted with most major insurance carriers. Scheduling an appointment is easy.
SELF-PAY: To schedule an appointment, self-pay couples should call the office and be prepared to provide both of their:
* Full names
* Dates of birth (DOBs)
* Address (or addresses if the members of the couple live separately)
* Phone numbers
* Email addresses (if they would like the New Couples Client Packet to be emailed to them)
* Reason they are seeking services, summarized in a word or two, such as communication
difficulties or difficulty balancing individual and couple needs
INSURANCE: Most major insurance companies do not provide benefits for couples' counseling in the way the American Psychological Association (APA) dictates couples therapy should be conducted. The APA states, when couples therapy services are provided, the couple is the client, not a single individual within the couple. Since insurance carriers sell policies to individuals and process bills for services rendered under an individual's name, there is often no way for a couples therapy session to be processed with the couple as a client.
However, as insurance carriers are always adding new policies and benefits as well as periodically making changes to existing policies, Dr. Powers is willing to verify your insurance to see if your policy has a provision where couples therapy can be billed with the couple as the client.
If you are interested in having your insurance verified, please call the office with your insurance card in hand and provide the following:
* Full names, dates of birth, address(es), phone numbers, emails, and brief reason for seeking
services for you and your partner
* Insurance carrier's name (such as Medicare, FL Blue, United Healthcare, Cigna, etc.)
* Plan name
* Primary insured's name (the name of the person who has the policy) and DOB
* Member number
* Group number
* Provider phone number (often listed as Provider number or Behavioral Health number)
If you would like both partners' insurances to be verified, please provide all information related to your partner's insurance policy as well: insurance carrier's name, plan name, primary insured's name, member number, group number, and provider phone number.
The First Appointment
The first appointment, also known as the initial session or intake, is an evaluation. It involves both members of the couple and the provider discussing the reason the couple is seeking treatment, the couple's current relationship difficulties, and the goals the couple has for treatment. The goal is to define the nature of the couple's relationship difficulties as well as provide the couple with a general overview of the recommended treatment.
The first appointment starts with a review of the completed New Couples Client Packet to make sure all forms have been appropriately filled out. If one or both members of the couple have any questions about the forms, the provider will answer these questions at this time. Once the initial paperwork is reviewed, the provider will ask each member of the couple to identify in a sentence or two the reason they are seeking treatment as a couple. From there, the information provided in the paperwork will be reviewed and additional questions will be asked. At the end of the appointment, the provider will confirm with the couple the major issues they would like to address in treatment as well as discuss the recommended treatment.
Prior to scheduling a follow-up appointment, the couple and the provider will discuss the fit of the professional relationship. Many factors go into determining if the relationship is a good fit. Some factors are:
* Location of the office and accessibility for the couple
* Theoretical orientation and treatment approach
* Provider’s experience with the relationship issue(s) at hand and current scope of practice
* Couple preference
If both members of the couple and the provider determine a good fit exists, then the next step is to schedule a follow-up session.
Follow-Up Sessions
Follow-up sessions are the appointments that come after the initial evaluation or intake. The number of follow-up sessions is determined by the type and scope of the couple's relationship issues and progress made. Treatment can be:
* Brief (four to eight sessions)
* Short-Term (three to six months in length)
* Long-Term (lasting six months or longer)
The length of a couples session can also vary. The most common couples session length is seventy-five to ninety minutes. A seventy-five to ninety-minute session allows time to:
* Review previously assigned homework
* Identify the issue(s) or set of concerns the couple would like to work on
* Discuss therapeutic approaches to identified issues and concerns
* Create and agree upon a new homework assignment
* Identify the takeaway lessons of each member of the couple from the session
* Discuss the positive strides made by both members of the couple inside and outside of the session
FAQ - How Do We Get the Most Out of Couples Therapy?
The number one most commonly asked question after a couple enters therapy is: How do we get the most out of therapy? It's a good question.
While therapy is a collaborative process, the outcome of therapy is largely determined by how much time and effort both you and your partner put into improving your relationship. This is because most of life is lived outside of the therapy office.
While this may seem like a tall order at the start, rest assured, if you follow The Top Ten Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Couples Therapy, you and your partner will be well on your way to making the relationship improvements you wish to make.
The Top Ten Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Couples Therapy
1. Schedule and attend sessions regularly
2. Arrive on time to sessions
3. Be present during therapy by focusing on the topics at hand
4. Be open and honest when talking with your therapist and your partner
5. Be clear about what’s most important for the both of you to work on at any given time
6. Ask questions if there’s something either or both of you don’t understand
7. Listen to feedback and give yourself time to understand and use it
8. Do your homework
9. Practice your new strategies and skills individually and with each other at home
10. Use your previously learned skills and strategies on an ongoing basis
Other Frequently Asked Questions
For answers to the most frequently asked questions, please see our FAQ page.