Succeeding as a couple requires you and your significant other to have some important skills. When you go through couples therapy, you can work on developing these skills to make your relationship stronger and healthier. It's important to know what the key skills you should focus on developing are when you start going to therapy. The following are six skills you and your significant other can work on in couples therapy. 

Communicating

Communication skills are perhaps the most important skills couples who are struggling need to develop. You need to learn to both express yourself effectively and listen to your significant other. Good communication skills help you and your significant other to understand each other's expectations and empathize with each other's point of view. 

Trusting

A lot of relationships fall apart because of a lack of trust. During couples therapy, trust issues can be addressed with an impartial counselor.  Trust is an especially big issue if one or both partners have cheated but want to work to save the relationship despite this. Couples therapy can help couples to reestablish trust and move on from an episode of cheating to a rewarding and successful relationship. 

Being patient

Couples need to be patient with one another to avoid conflict. Impatience leads to feelings of frustration that can be detrimental to a relationship. With couples therapy, partners can work on being more patient with one another and taking a step back to reflect before expressing frustration or anger.

Making joint decisions

Another issue some couples struggle with is making decisions together. Relationships sometimes fall apart because one or both members of a couple make important decisions without consulting each other.  A couples therapist can listen to both partners about decision-making practices within the couple and offer suggestions on how to develop a system for making joint decisions. 

De-escalating conflict

Arguing and having conflicts that escalate and become toxic are huge factors in destroying relationships. Couples who are experiencing constant conflict that gets out of hand need to learn how to de-escalate conflict to avoid serious arguments.  During couples therapy, partners can learn more effective methods of communicating that are less likely to lead to conflict. 

Showing support

Couples need to show support for one another to stick together. Through couples therapy, partners can learn how to express their support for their partner and get involved with their partner's endeavors. This allows a couple to achieve more success by functioning better as a team. To learn more information about couples therapy, reach out to a company such as Covenant Sex Therapy.