What role does online couples counseling play in addiction recovery for couples?

You know you and your partner need to get some help for how addiction has impacted your relationship. Hopefully you’ve been getting individual support, maybe attending some support groups or even a treatment program. You’re considering doing couples therapy in Riverside CA to help your relationship but you’re not sure if you need to come in person or if you can do online couples counseling to help with addiction recovery. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.

Couples therapy in Riverside CA to help with addiction recovery

The role of therapy plays a crucial role for couples in addiction recovery in ways that tie all the individual work together. Couples therapy can facilitate safe, secure environments to discuss the most vulnerable, sensitive parts of recovery, like admitting there is a real problem, talking about the emotional impacts the addiction has had on a partner or child, creating space and time to learn communication skills, and ultimately learn how the relationship can be a vessel in which to find safety and healing for both the partner suffering from addiction and their partner.  

Is couples therapy in Riverside CA essential to help us in our addiction recovery journey?

One downside to NOT adding couples therapy to the list of tools to assist in recovery is that most recovery models don’t include educational resources for how a partner can be accidentally contributing to the problem. Partners that live in the home with someone suffering from an addiction that is not educated about their role in recovery and is not aware of how they may be reinforcing patterns may benefit immensely from couples therapy as a parallel process. Many times partners of recovering addicts are in the dark about their partner's process as well, and adding communication, distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills to their toolbelt could make a significant impact on the speed and completeness of recovery for the addicted and the couple/family system. 

Online Couples Counseling to help with healthy boundaries

The role of couples therapy in addiction recovery is significantly helpful in the realm of understanding boundaries, enforcement of boundaries, and reassignment of what each partner is and is not responsible for in the partnership. Having clear boundaries is crucial in establishing and managing expectations, which is a common booby trap for couples navigating addictions. I know it is counter intuitive, but strong boundaries can give people a sense of safety, security and predictability, especially when healing from past trauma. Knowing where one partner ends, and the other begins gives people who might be feeling anxious about their partner's behavior a lighthouse to refer back to for comfort and reassurance. 

Of course, there are aspects to addiction recovery that are going to be specific to the individual suffering and the couple. Each nuance that creates the couple’s bubble should be considered to provide the best care and potential treatment outcomes. Having a couple’s therapist take over the heavy lifting and captain the ship for a couple’s voyage through these particularly rough seas is not only a common resource to rely on, it's highly recommended in supporting the health of a relationship while one or both partners face the difficulty of addiction recovery. As always, action is better than apathy and no one can help you if you do not reach out. We can be the place you start learning and gaining confidence that you, and your partner does not need to do this alone. We can help you chart the path toward relief, and help you hold down the fort while you venture toward recovery.   

At Inland Empire Couples Counseling we have therapists who understand couple relationships AND have worked or currently work in addiction treatment. We understand how complicated it can be when addiction hurts your relationship, when efforts at recovery seem to be taking time away from your partner, and when the problems in your relationship cause cravings or relapses.

Let us help you and your partner find your way back to happy, healthy, and in love! Click the button below to schedule a free phone consultation with one of our therapists.

Quality marriage counseling in Riverside CA, Temecula CA, online couples counseling in California, and couples retreats in California

At Inland Empire Couples Counseling we offer the best marriage counseling we can! Our couples therapists are trained in helping couples heal from infidelity, substance use in relationships, childhood trauma, communication skills, as well as providing the LGBTQIA+ community with pride counseling. We have online couples counseling in California. We have couples therapy in Riverside, CA. We also have marriage counseling in Murrieta CA or the Temecula Valley. For a deeper experience focused on rejuvenation and reconnection, consider booking one of our couples retreats in California. Please reach out for help by clicking the button below to schedule a free 15 minute consultation with our Intake Coordinator.

Have questions about couples counseling? Visit our FAQs page to find out more.