Couples Therapy in Illinois: Repair Begins Here

Here’s How The Couples Clinic® Can Help 

For over three decades, we have been developing and refining a step-by-step method that will put your relationship back on track. We’ll meet with you and your partner together for the first session, unless circumstances prevent it. Then we’ll meet with each of you for separate sessions during the following week. 

These three sessions will be devoted to understanding each of your concerns, your relationship habits, your dreams, and what it feels like to be each of you in this relationship. Then we’ll discuss a plan with you for how to make your relationship better. 

We’ll guide you through these phases of couples therapy along your way to a healthier, more fulfilling relationship. 

Phase 1: Rapid Relief

In the first phase, we’ll do most of the “heavy lifting” for you. Your job is simply to be open to trying new things and follow our lead. We’ll quickly identify your core issues and talk to each of you about the changes you need to make in a straight-forward, no-nonsense way. 

If this sounds scary, don’t be discouraged. You’ll feel supported and understood, even when you’re feeling challenged. 

Do you feel hurt? Betrayed? Stuck? The calm presence of our therapists and expert guidance will enable you to have healing conversations with your partner that you couldn’t otherwise have. You’ll quickly resolve issues that have stubbornly refused resolution in the past. People who work with us are often amazed at the changes they see in the first month of couples therapy in Illinois or virtually. 

Phase 2: Hard Work

Now comes the hard part. In fact, at The Couples Clinic®, we often refer to the second stage of the program as “Relationship Boot Camp.” 

Scientists have discovered that the wide range of “bad” things that happen in relationships can all be traced to a single cause – deficiencies in a core set of abilities that are necessary for relationships to go well. Thanks to decades of research, we now know exactly what those abilities are. In Phase 2, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance that will enable you to develop the full range of habits that are needed for your relationship to thrive. 

Counseling sessions will be supplemented by dozens of between-session exercises (detailed in our book, Developing Habits for Relationship Success) that are designed to rewire your brains for more flexibility. We provide an extensive collection of readings and audio resources that will help you avoid common pitfalls and stay on track with the changes that you need to make. 

Your therapist may also suggest the use of phones to exchange audio messages between sessions, enabling you to receive guidance at the moments when you really need it instead of having to wait until the next scheduled session. 

Phase 3: Creating a Truly Enjoyable Relationship

Breaking old habits takes hard work, but your relationship won’t thrive if it’s all work and no play. Couples whose relationships flourish have fun together. They miss each other when apart, enjoy tackling challenges together, look forward to talking about their individual triumphs and challenges, and love the feeling of being co-adventurers in life. Their interactions are saturated with warmth, tenderness, affection and genuine interest. 

In the last phase of couples therapy, you’ll become experts at sparking feelings of love and desire in each other, and you’ll engage in exercises that increase carefree, enjoyable moments. You’ll discover ways to open your hearts, allowing feelings of warmth, tenderness, affection, playfulness, sexual desire, and loving connection to increase. 

How Long will Therapy Take?

The length of therapy will vary according to you and your partner’s needs, and how much energy you can invest in the process as it unfolds. In the first few weeks, your therapist may recommend more than one session per week. As the weeks go by, sessions will usually be needed less frequently. 

Some partners feel satisfied with the changes they see after just a few weeks, and some continue to feel that important changes are happening for an entire year. In general, we recommend that you consider committing yourself to a minimum of three months of regular therapy sessions. At the three-month mark, we will want to re-evaluate to see if further therapy is needed. 

Want to Speed Up the Process?

If you want changes to happen really quickly, and you can set aside time in your schedule to accelerate the counseling process, you might want to consider working intensively with a therapist for 5 hours per day for up to three days in a row. 

Learn more about our Intensive Couples Therapy. 

Insurance and Additional Questions 

Many clients find that their health insurance covers a portion of their fees for therapy at The Couples Clinic®. If you have questions about how to investigate what your insurance will cover, call our office manager at 331-254-3464, extension 115. 

We believe that you should know as much as possible ahead of time about what your couples therapy in Illinois or remotely will be like. That’s why we’ve written extensively about our methods and stories about couples who benefited from using them in books and articles. If you don’t have the time to read these or are experiencing a state of crisis in your relationship, never hesitate to call us. We’ll discuss how we can help and what your first steps will be. Get in touch with us or call 331-254-3464.