{"id":80501,"date":"2022-09-22T09:50:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T09:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=80501"},"modified":"2024-05-15T09:07:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T09:07:10","slug":"couples-therapy-worksheets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/couples-therapy-worksheets\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Couples Therapy Worksheets, Questions & Activities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

If you’re having a high level of <\/span>conflict in your relationship <\/span><\/a>or want to learn healthy communication strategies to prevent problems from cropping up between you and your partner, couple therapy may be a worthwhile investment. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you go to therapy with your spouse or significant other, you will likely be given some couples therapy worksheets to identify strengths and concerns in the relationship. These might help you learn more about each other’s needs. <\/span><\/p>\n

These worksheets will supplement the work you do with your therapist. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>What is couples therapy and what is couples counseling?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Before learning about couples therapy activities and worksheets, it is helpful to understand what couples therapy is. People may even use the terms counseling and therapy interchangeably, but there can be differences between the two. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, counseling tends to be shorter-term and less clinical. A couple’s counselor may offer guidance and help couples to find solutions to their problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, couples therapy sessions are more clinical. A therapist may help you and your partner to evaluate underlying issues, subconscious thoughts, or issues from your past that are creeping into the relationship and causing problems in the present. <\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of whether you choose therapy or counseling, you will likely be asked to complete specific couples therapy worksheets or bonding exercises for couples to help you meet your goals for the relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n

Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> Couples Counseling and Why It’s so Important<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n
<\/span>What type of therapy is best for married couples?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
There are multiple therapeutic techniques available, but there is not one single couple therapy worksheet that is best or that works for everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n
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A couples therapist can help you and your partner select a program that best fits your preferences and situation. <\/span><\/p>\n
Maggie Martinez<\/a>, LCSW, says,<\/p>\n
When you are looking for a couples therapist, be upfront about any presenting problems to ensure a good fit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
You might consider some of the techniques below.<\/span><\/p>\n
1. Psychodynamic couples therapy <\/b><\/h3>\n
One common couple therapy technique is psychodynamic couples therapy. This therapeutic <\/span>approach<\/span><\/a> assumes that relationship problems arise from unaddressed childhood problems and subconscious thoughts and motivations. <\/span><\/p>\n
For instance, people in a relationship may be reliving issues with their parents in the context of a relationship. If a woman has an unresolved conflict with her father, she may be unknowingly trying to resolve that conflict by projecting it onto her partner.<\/span><\/p>\n
Psychodynamic therapy also addresses our subconscious beliefs and motivations. We all learn what marriages and relationships should look like by watching our parents. We then carry our <\/span>expectations into our adult relationships<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n
If these relationships look different from what we learned growing up, we may think there is something wrong, when in reality, our partner has different expectations than we do.<\/span><\/p>\n
Maggie further adds,<\/p>\n
Psychodynamic therapists will usually let you know up front this is the therapeutic technique they primarily use.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fortunately, these differences can be worked out using couples therapy worksheets. <\/span><\/p>\n
2. Gottman’s couples counseling<\/b><\/h3>\n
Another one of the common couple therapy techniques is Gottman’s couples counseling. Gottman is a pioneer in marital therapy, and his principles teach couples to change their behaviors to resolve problems and improve their relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n
Research has shown that Gottman’s approaches are <\/span>beneficial<\/span><\/a> for improving<\/span> intimacy in relationships<\/span><\/a>, and this effect is long-lasting. <\/span><\/p>\n
3. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)<\/b><\/h3>\n
CBT is a common therapeutic approach, and you can apply it to therapy with couples. This approach states that unpleasant emotions and undesired behaviors result from distorted thinking patterns. <\/span><\/p>\n
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Couples learn to change their thinking patterns in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<\/a> (CBT) sessions, improving the relationship. <\/span><\/p>\n
4. Emotionally-focused couples therapy<\/b><\/h3>\n
Some couples may benefit from working with a counselor who practices emotionally-focused couples therapy. Couples therapy exercises utilized in this approach focus on helping couples to discontinue negative interaction patterns and strengthen their bond. <\/span><\/p>\n
Couples also become more skilled in sharing their emotions, showing compassion for each other, and changing how they communicate. Studies of couple therapy techniques have found that emotionally-focused couples therapy <\/span>improves<\/span><\/a> marital satisfaction. <\/span><\/p>\n
Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy to Strengthen your Marriage<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n
<\/span>Relationship evaluation checklist<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
A relationship evaluation checklist is one of the relationship activities you might perform before even going to counseling. This checklist allows you to answer “yes” or “no” to a series of questions that evaluate the relationship’s health. <\/span><\/p>\n
Areas where you answer “no” may indicate a problem that may need to be addressed in therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n
Some common questions that may be included on a relationship evaluation checklist are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n