What to Look For in a Couples Coach, Couples Counselor, Couples Therapist, or Couples Psychologist in San Diego and CA When You Need Relationship Help
Finding a couples therapist to work with is a very personal choice, and it’s important to find someone that has your best interest at heart. If you are looking for a life coach, counselor, therapist, or psychologist in San Diego, I’d like to help you find someone who can help.
It’s important to find someone that specializes in working with couples versus just general practice. Ask the couples therapist what type of education or coursework they have had that specializes in couples, as it may give you an idea of their expertise. For most couples therapists, the coursework we receive while enrolled in our postgraduate training around working with couples is generalized and not entirely thorough, so it’s important to find someone that specializes in their work with couples and relationships. In fact, most therapists and psychologists never receive training working with couples at all. Couples therapists and couples psychologists alike have 3000+ hours before they can go through the process of licensure. Psychologists usually have 5 years of schooling while therapists have two, but if they do various certifications they can have more specialized training particular to couples more so than a psychologist. Counselors generally are found in various community settings, may not be licensed, and they may be helpful to start a conversation, but if you need more help, I’d suggest looking for couples or relationship therapist or psychologist. If you decide to work with a couples coach, please be careful, as they usually do not have any formalized training and generally are using their own personalized experiences to give advice, and they have not had the training, education, or the number of hours that therapists and psychologists have had. Also, one important thing to note is that coaches are not bound by confidentiality and cannot be held responsible for misbehavior. They can state they will hold your secrets, but you cannot go after them to seek reparation, as they are not bound by any regulation and therefore can walk away unscathed, leaving you feeling betrayed.
A client recently reminded me that not all couples therapists are equal in their knowledge and competence, so be sure to find someone with whom both you and your partner feel comfortable working. It may be helpful to find a couples therapist who has trained in more than one modality or approach when working with couples. This will allow them to be more adaptive in their work and to be prepared if something out of the ordinary should arise, or should they find difficulty arise within one approach, then it could be helpful for you and your partner for them to have multiple tools at the ready.
Relationships Redefined specializes in helping couples and individuals find fulfillment, connection, trust, and healthy communication in their relationships and offers online counseling focused in couples therapy & marriage counseling, individual therapy, premarital counseling, and intimacy and sex therapy in San Diego and all of California. Book a free 15-minute online consultation with us here! Make Intimacy Your Reality!