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Therapy is a diverse and valuable solution for many mental health issues, but you don’t need a clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder or depression to benefit from learning how to deal with your feelings and make choices that will benefit your future and the people around you.

Working with a Therapist

You’ve probably had a “heart to heart” with a friend where one of you talked about a difficult subject and felt better at the end of the conversation. Even if you didn’t identify a specific solution for the problem, the act of talking about the issue helped you see the problem from a new direction.

With the help of a professional therapist or counselor, you may be able to work toward solutions that you’ve been unable to confront without the help and encouragement of a mental health professional.

For example, sometimes we behave in ways that aren’t beneficial for building relationships. Behavioral therapy could help you identify self-defeating patterns in your personal relationships and learn how to prevent those behaviors from occurring in the future.

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Considering Individual Therapy in Dallas? Contact Billy Grammer regarding questions or to schedule a therapy session – 214-766-8886

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What is behavioral therapy?

We all have self-destructive behaviors, but some people have behaviors that are mentally or physically injurious. Also called behavioral modification, this type of therapy is designed to identify bad habits and figure out what good habits would be best as replacements.

In many cases, behavioral therapy is used to treat common mood disorders, and it’s also an option for the treatment of mental disorders.

For example, after a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a person might seek out behavioral modification to learn how to stop engaging in harmful behaviors. Another patient suffering from an eating disorder might also seek out behavioral modification.

Mood disorders that behavioral therapy might help include:

• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia

Some mental disorders that may benefit from behavioral therapy include:

• Autism
• Eating disorders
• Substance abuse problems

Some patients even seek out personal counseling for help managing pain due to a chronic condition. The treatment for some diseases is painful, and therapy can help a patient cope with that pain.

How Does Behavioral Therapy Work?

During a personal counseling session, there are many ways to proceed with therapy. A caring mental health professional will work to identify the most appropriate course of action for treatment. For example, some patients may undergo depression therapy with a discussion about coping mechanisms. Another patient seeking social anxiety therapy may benefit from role-playing during a therapy session.

Some of the other techniques used in behavioral therapy include:

1. Activities that build confidence
2. Meditation and breathing exercises
3. Training in basic skills used in social meetings
4. Writing in a journal each day

Another valuable feature of treatment may include a discussion of current emotional responses to things like anger and fear and a plan for modifying the response a patient has to those stimuli. For example, a therapist might ask a patient to identify situations where he or she has felt scared or angry. Then, the therapist and patient can make a plan for dealing with those feelings.

Why is therapy important and beneficial?

There are many types of therapists and counselors, and those mental health professionals are dedicated to helping people improve their quality of life. Individual therapy offers many benefits that can improve a patient’s life in areas like relationships, work, friendships, and family. Help is available for:

• Depression: Depression therapy can help improve a patient’s mental health by building self-esteem and helping the patient regain confidence.
• Emotional maturity: Therapy can help a person who hasn’t developed his or her emotional IQ learn to understand and use emotions.
• Pain management: A mind is a powerful tool in helping a patient deal with the pain that comes with chronic conditions, diseases, and mental health issues.
• Self-harm: Therapy can help a patient discover and understand the circumstances that lead to self-harm.
• Social skills: Patients with limited social skills can learn to interact with strangers and new people, as well as with friends and coworkers while in public situations.
• Unfamiliar situations: Therapy can help someone react with more confidence in unfamiliar situations.

Getting the Most Out of Therapy

It’s important to realize that therapy isn’t a one-sided treatment plan where a therapist can help a patient by doing all the talking. Valuable and rewarding therapy sessions come when a patient is willing to engage with the therapist.

It’s important that a patient doesn’t enter into therapy with a set timeline in mind. It’s not uncommon to begin anxiety therapy with a few sessions each week and then reduce that number over time as treatment progresses.

Further, it’s important to find a therapist who is easy to talk to and engage in conversation. If you’re seeking treatment for something like social anxiety, it can be difficult to open up to a therapist. A counselor won’t take it personally if you decide to work with a different mental health professional. A therapist is dedicated to your well-being and wants the best for you.

Before Therapy Begins

Before you arrive for your first counseling session, you may want to write some things down, so you don’t forget something important when speaking with your therapist. You might make a list of the reasons that led you seek out therapy. Writing things down is cathartic (or therapeutic), and your counselor or therapist may have you keep a diary or journal during treatment.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Have you thought about hurting yourself?
2. Do you have overwhelming feelings of anger or anxiety?
3. Have your habits changed recently? (like your sleeping patterns)
4. Are you experiencing problems in a personal or professional relationship?
5. Do you feel overwhelmed by life and other people in your life?

It’s difficult for anyone to confront the problems in his or her life, but therapy and counseling can have an incredibly positive impact on your life. Get in touch with Billy Grammer, LPC/LMFT/CST with any questions you have about individual therapy and its benefits to your mental health and quality of life.

Counseling or therapy sessions often occur one-on-one with a mental health professional, or they are held in a group atmosphere, which is sometimes called group therapy. Sometimes, a couple will meet with a therapist to try and repair a relationship or marriage. Things might not be going well, and the couple has discussed separation or divorce because of the rift in the relationship. Here’s what you need to know about relationship counseling and how it can help your family.

Do I Need Relationship Counseling?

Also known as marriage counseling or couples therapy, relationship counseling might seem even more daunting than individual counseling because you’re sharing personal details with more than one person. It’s not surprising that you might feel emotionally exposed while speaking in such a setting.

Sometimes it’s easy to figure out whether marriage and relationship counseling is something worth putting on the schedule. You’re fighting all the time, and you’ve started wondering whether being apart from the person you love might be best for everyone. Maybe there are arguments about insignificant things that turn into days-long episodes of the “silent treatment.”

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If you’re seeking relationship therapy in Dallas, including marriage counseling, couples therapy, premarital counseling or Christian Marriage Counseling, contact Billy Grammer for questions or to schedule a session – 214-766-8886

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Will Relationship Counseling Help?

One way to understand how a therapist can help with relationship problems is to examine the way the sessions should proceed. Your therapist or counselor is a neutral mediator, and he or she is there to help you communicate what’s wrong. It’s not always easy to understand an argument from another person’s viewpoint, and that’s how relationship therapy can help.

Often, arguments begin over small things that aren’t really that important in the grand scheme of things, like drinking the milk out of the carton or putting off home improvement projects.

However, these small arguments are a sign that there are bigger problems in play that might be related to one of the following:

• Children
• Illness
• Infidelity
• Family (in-laws)
• Mental health issues
• Money and finances
• Sex

We can become blinded by our own opinions and point of view, and considering life from another person’s shoes can become almost impossible. Marriage counseling can help guide your discussions so that petty arguments and anger don’t prevent you from confronting the real issues.

It’s not always about anger.

Many people assume going to couples therapy is what people do when they’re fighting, but anger isn’t the only emotion involved in therapy. One member of a marriage could feel that the other person doesn’t care for him or her. Couples counseling is one way to discuss those feelings.

It’s scary to bring up feelings of inadequacy, and therapy can help fuel healthy discussions about a relationship. Your therapist can help with feelings that exist all along the spectrum from depression and sadness to anxiety or anger.

Counseling is for all couples.

Because it’s often called “marriage counseling,” it’s easy to assume that family and marriage therapy isn’t a valid solution for your relationship problems if you’re in a long-term relationship and you’re not married yet. Even if marriage isn’t yet on your schedule but you’re fully committed to the relationship, couples counseling is a valid option to consider.

Premarital counseling is also something to consider if you’re experiencing more stress than you think is normal in the months before your big day. Everyone gets stressed before they get married because it’s a big and life-changing event. However, sometimes anger and arguing about little things related to your upcoming nuptials are actually signs that something more serious is going on.

Getting Help is Important for Your Mental Health

We often try to put on a brave face with friends and family when there are problems at home, but trying to deny there are problems in a marriage or relationship can actually lead to mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Depending on the type of problem causing strife in the relationship, fights can also lead to shame, guilt, and even physical health problems.

In severe cases, relationship problems can lead to one or both members of the relationship engaging in substance abuse, and physical altercations can also impact couples who have very deep-rooted, emotional problems. Conflict resolution and help from couples counseling is important for your own health, as well as the well-being of your friends and family.

What to Expect with Your Relationship Counselor

The first step you take toward resolving the problems in your relationship is making an appointment with a relationship counselor. Often, this initial step is one of the hardest because it means you have to admit there’s something wrong in your relationship that you can’t fix on your own.

When you first meet with your relationship counselor, he or she will probably ask some basic questions like “what made you decide to seek counseling,” or “what problems are you experiencing.” You may want to think about what you’ll say in this first meeting so that your therapist can provide the most effective help.

Your first session will be uncomfortable. There’s just no way around it. You’ll probably be nervous, and it may be difficult to say some things aloud. However, these initial relationship therapy sessions are very important to the future of your relationship.

When Should a Christian Couple Seek Marriage Counseling?

Therapy isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to mental health and relationships, and couples may consider Christian marriage counseling as an option. Just like counseling conducted from a secular point-of-view, it’s important to make the decision to receive counseling at an early point in your marital problems.

Proverbs 13:10 says:

Where there is strife, there is pride,

    but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Damage to your relationship happens over time, and problems that have been built over years of fighting can be exceptionally painful to confront. It’s important to consider these warning signs that may indicate marriage counseling is your next step in repairing your relationship.

1. Addiction or substance abuse of one or both parties.
2. Communication seems futile and leads only to arguments.
3. Frequent arguments and an inability to resolve problems.
4. One partner feeling his or her needs are not met.
5. Lying or deceitful actions.

If you have questions about your relationship and want to know if counseling is an appropriate course of action, contact Billy Grammer to discuss your options.

Marriage counseling is an option to consider if you’re having problems in your marriage that you don’t feel you can solve. Marriage and family therapists specialize in the treatment of problems that are common within the marriage including excessive fighting, lack of intimacy, and infidelity. If you’re curious about marriage counseling and whether it might work for your relationship, here’s what you need to know about the process.

When is It Appropriate to Seek Out Marriage Counseling?

For the past several decades, the statistic that half of all first marriages will end in divorce has remained fairly constant. It’s important for couples to seek marital counseling with a marriage therapist early when they start experiencing problems.

Marital strife that comes from years of fighting is exceptionally difficult to fix, and a marriage and family therapist might be the only way that two people can remember why they decided to get married in the first place.

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Contact Billy Grammer for Marital Therapy in Dallas – 214-766-8886

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Here are some warning signs that may indicate you should speak to a marriage counselor.

1. Children are the reason the marriage hasn’t already ended.

After the wedding bells ring, many couples discuss children and begin expanding their family. In some marriages, parents believe that staying together for the sake of the children is better than putting them through a divorce. Many people believe they can hide their problems from their children. However, children are smart and see more than we might believe.

Staying together for the children when problems between the parents aren’t resolved can actually hurt the entire family. Instead of trying to hide problems that will just get worse over time, it’s important to consider speaking with a marriage and family counselor. Ensure the children have the best chance of growing up in a happy home.

2. Fighting never resolves anything and problems persist for months or years.

Men and women may approach problems and their solutions differently, and conflict in a marriage often gets worse when problems aren’t resolved promptly. Sometimes, a problem is just a problem, and an eventual solution does find its way into the relationship. However, frequent fighting and a lack of resolution may mean marriage counseling is a good idea.

For example, perhaps one person in the marriage doesn’t like the in-laws, and their yearly visits always cause fighting and anger. If this happens over and over again without resolution, it’s possible each person in the marriage is unwilling to listen to what the other has to say. This inability to step outside one’s own point of view is an important reason to consider marriage therapy.

3. When the “spark” is gone from the marriage.

It’s an amazing experience to marry the person you love who is also your best friend, but it can be heartbreaking to see that relationship crumble and turn into something that resembles living with a roommate in college. A common buzzword used today is that the “spark” has disappeared from the marriage. An unspoken problem could be causing the emotional deadening that might mean marriage counseling could offer a solution.

For example, maybe one person in the marriage has lost his or her job, and the event has taken a toll on his or her self-esteem. Rather than talking about it with his or her partner, there’s just a gradual withdrawal from emotional intimacy which eventually leads to a loveless or boring marriage.

4. Infidelity.

When someone cheats in a marriage or long-term relationship, the results are devastating for everyone involved. Recovering from an affair is something that doesn’t happen in every marriage. Unfortunately, divorce is the only way some couples can cope with infidelity. There is no quick-fix for this situation, and it takes hard work to repair a marriage broken by infidelity.

There’s no guarantee that marital therapy will work when one or both partners has had an affair. It’s probably one of the most damaging events that can happen in a marriage. Lack of communication, anger, and a loss of intimacy can doom a marriage after infidelity, but a marriage may be salvaged by meeting with a marriage counselor.

5. The couple can think of no other solution besides separation.

It’s worthwhile to seek out a marriage and family therapist before problems get so bad that the only solution anyone can see is divorce. As an emotionally traumatic experience, divorce is something that no one believes will happen to them. Even couples who decide to sign prenuptial agreements want to believe that their marriage will last forever.

The concept of a temporary separation is one solution a couple may consider while working through their issues in couples therapy. A separation doesn’t always mean divorce is on the horizon. Time apart can allow wounds to heal and make it easier to talk about problems. However, it’s important that a couple actually works through those problems instead of just burying them after the separation is over.

How Can Christian Marriage Counseling Benefit a Couple?

Christian marriage counseling takes many forms, and often depends on a couple’s denomination and how they practice their faith in everyday life. A Christian counselor may take the form of a church pastor or reverend, as well as a mental health professional with university training in marriage and couples therapy.

Christian counseling often presents a Biblical worldview and seeks to use the redemptive work of Christ as a template for solving problems and treating couples. Christian therapy is a process that takes time, and marriage therapists help couples find love, harmony, faith, and commitment within their marriage. Practical solutions for marital problems are also discussed, particularly when there is Biblical guidance available on a particular subject.

Counseling Before Marriage

Marriage is a big step in the evolution of a couple, and it often means significant changes like children and buying a house together. For some couples, pre-marriage counseling can make the transition to married life easier by strengthening the relationship prior to marriage. Marriage definitely takes work from both people in the relationship, and it’s important to learn how to communicate and solve problems before saying, ’till death do us part.

If you’ve started experiencing problems in your marriage, and you’re not sure how to get things back to the way they were before you started fighting, marriage counseling might be your next step. Contact Billy Grammer with questions about marriage therapy and how counseling may help you save your marriage.

One of the topics discussed in marriage therapy is sexuality, and there are counselors who specialize in this type of relationship therapy or who devote part of their practice to helping individuals with problems like sex addiction or sex in marriage.

It may be valuable for a married couple or an individual to visit a sex counselor to solve problems related specifically to sexuality rather than visiting a therapist to talk about general problems. Solving other problems in one’s life doesn’t always lead to help for a problem dealing with sexuality.

What Does a Sex Therapist Do?

Having a problem with sex isn’t uncommon for humans, and many people will experience sexual issues that may cause difficulties in relationships, as well as mental health problems like depression. A sex therapist is a qualified health professional who has studied in this particular area of counseling and can offer advice on problems related to sex.

Sex is a complex issue, and humans can experience quite a few different problems that prevent them from having a healthy, natural sex life.

Some of the problems that sexual therapy may help for women patients include:

• Inability or difficulty having an orgasm
• Lack of desire
• Pain during sex

For men, help from a sex counselor is available for:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Ejaculation problems
• Loss of desire

The solutions to these and other related problems may lie in a medical solution, a mental solution, or in some combination of the two. Sexual wellbeing is important to mental health, so it’s important to seek help from a healthcare professional if you’re suffering from one of these problems.

Should I See a Sex Therapist?

The only decision more nerve-wracking than deciding to see a marriage therapist is the decision to see a sex therapist. Talking about sex with someone you don’t know is difficult, particularly when it’s with someone who needs to understand your true feelings on the subject.

A sex therapist can help you understand that certain feelings are normal and that human sexuality is a healthy and natural part of life.

Sex counseling is appropriate for a variety of couples from newlyweds adjusting to marriage to couples that have been together for decades and are experiencing problems. One common reason patients seek sex marriage counseling is because children have become a priority and sex has become an afterthought. Lack of sex in a relationship can lead to arguments, fighting, and other problems.

How Can a Sex Counselor Help?

There are many benefits to seeing a therapist who has studied sex counseling. Therapy is a valuable experience for many mental health problems and physical health issues, and it’s also a potential solution for a couple having problems with sex.

Ways couples sex counseling may help you include:

1. Sex therapy helps open lines of communication with one another.

One of the biggest barriers to a healthy sex life for many couples is the lack of communication between partners. Sex therapy helps couples talk about sex, which is something that most couples probably don’t do often enough.

2. Sex therapists share knowledge about sex.

Couples frequently experience the same sorts of problems like low sexual desire and arguments over how often to have sex. These issues can have a variety of causes, and a sex therapist can offer valuable help in identifying the cause of an issue.

3. Sex therapy helps get to the root of the problem.

A problem with sex might be due to a physical issue, or it might be caused by a mental issue. For example, sex addiction counseling may help a couple get to the bottom of why the sex addiction exists.

Many people wait far too long to see if sex counseling can help with a problem. Even though it’s difficult to make that first appointment for couples sex counseling, it’s an important part of returning to a natural, healthy relationship.

Contact Billy Grammer with any questions you have about whether you should speak with a sex therapist in Dallas – 214-766-8886

One of the most devastating events that can happen in a marriage is infidelity, and not all couples recover. Sexually inappropriate behavior can lead to feelings of betrayal, depression, and will certainly fuel anger a spouse might have for his or her partner. Affair recovery is possible, and it may be aided by help from a marriage and relationship counselor. Regaining broken trust isn’t something we do easily, and a professional family and marriage therapist can provide important support during the healing process.

Why Would Someone Forgive a Spouse After an Affair?

For many people, the thought of a spouse having an affair is one of the worst things that could ever happen in a relationship. However, it’s not uncommon for feelings of love and devotion to remain even after someone has had an affair. Affair recovery counseling is one of the best ways to ensure the healing process is successful.

It’s difficult to talk rationally with a partner after the discovery of infidelity, and couples counseling is helpful in that a therapist offers a safe, neutral space with a marriage counselor where the voices of both people in the marriage will be heard. Arguments after an affair can paralyze communication, and marital counseling can help.

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For Affair Recovery Counseling in Dallas, contact Billy Grammer – 214-766-8886

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What Will We Discuss in a Therapy Session?

One of the strengths of a counselor is that he or she can listen to the situation and provide many levels of support that range from constructive recommendations to the simple act of listening.

Some of the things you may discuss during affair recovery counseling include:

The reasons that led to an affair.

Sometimes, this information isn’t given freely, and it takes a few sessions for partners to begin opening up to one another. It’s difficult to think of the process of recovering from an affair as something that requires work from two people, but rebuilding a relationship takes communication and work from both sides.

Whether a substance abuse issue led to infidelity.

Placing the blame somewhere else for an affair, such as a substance abuse problem, isn’t the end of the story as far as recovery is concerned. Not only must the couple confront the affair, but treatment for substance abuse is also required.

Whether a sexual addiction is in play.

The reasons for an affair vary with each couple, but one problem is sexual addiction, which may lead a partner to stray. Men and women are each capable experiencing an addiction to sex, and it can destroy what might have been a healthy relationship at one time. Affair recovery might also require treatment for a sex addiction.

Why Do People have Affairs?

Discovery of an affair is an ugly time in a relationship, and it’s difficult for people to understand why anyone would have an affair unless they’ve experienced it in their own relationship. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why someone might choose to have an affair.

Some of those reasons include:

• The need for more sex than the relationship offers.
• No sexual satisfaction in the marriage.
• Loss of love between partners.
• Falling in love with another person.
• No emotional connection with a partner.

Some people may also decide to have affairs because of a desire for revenge. Others may end up having an affair because of an unquenched curiosity. What’s important about all of these reasons is that a couple is honest with one another when trying to fix the problem.

When is It an Affair?

Certain behaviors very obviously count as an affair, and there’s no question that someone has crossed the line. However, sometimes a partner might not realize that he or she has begun an affair because there is an assumption that an affair can’t happen unless sex is involved.

When does friendship turn into something more?

Answering this question is difficult because it requires communication, which might destroy a relationship. When is it the right time to reveal what may or may not be an infidelity? Even if a couple decides that an action wasn’t an affair, the dalliance could still damage the relationship.

A therapist is a powerful ally if you need help with your relationship. Learning how to recover from an affair isn’t something you should have to do on your own. Consider marriage counseling with Billy Grammer if your relationship is suffering because of an affair.

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