Should you bring it up andask how therapy is going?
Should you offer to accompany them?
Or, should you wait until they say something first?
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Because you love them, it can be hard to watch your partner go through something difficult.
However, its important not to pry.
It’s important that they know that you support them and their efforts to feel better.
Offer Your Assistance
Supporting your partner while in therapy can take many forms.
Its important to be patient with them and allow them to process or express these emotions without judgment.
Understand that it takes a lot of courage and effort to explore ones internal conflicts and unresolved issues.
Offer your partner as much love and support as you could.
Expecting your partner to go for one or two sessions and be better is unreasonable.
Tangible changes often take time, so its important to manage your expectationsand your partnersabout timelines and personal growth.
Your partner can probably use some space, time, openness, and trust while working it out.
Conveying genuine trust in your partner and the therapeutic process can be a helpful approach to supporting your partner.
Also, consider if you were the one in therapyhow might you want your partner to support you?
You would probably want their trust, as well as space to focus on and prioritize your needs.
Trying to compete with your partners therapist is a futile exercise.
It’s important to seek support if you need it.
Support can take many different forms.
For instance, it may help to confide your thoughts and feelings to close friends and family members.
Find out which option is the best for you.
Muntigl P.Managing distress over time in psychotherapy: guiding the client in and through intense emotional work.Front Psychol.
2020;10:3052. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03052
American Psychological Association.How to cope when a loved one has a serious mental illness.
2014;19(10):944-949.
