IMPROVING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS[COUPLES RELATIONSHIP]MENTAL HEALTH , ARTICLE 1,2,3,4

Article 1

One of the most important aspects in any relationship is how the two of you communicate with each other. In fact, this is one of the best predictors of whether a couple’s relationship will be satisfying over the years .When cpules sit down to talk to each other , they usually have one of two types of conversations

First, they might want to simply share their thoughts and feelings about some topic. For example, you might routinely talk about how each of your days went, what happened with the children, events in the world , or news from family and friends. When you are speaking , your aim to share with the other person and to be heard and accepted. When you are the listener , your aim is to understand your partner. If you can develop skills to have these conversations , it is a gift to your relationshipbecause it means that both of you can share and feel understood , whether discussing the good, the bad or the ugly.

Article 2

During this type of conversation, the emphasis is not on making a decision or resolving a problem. That is the second type of conversation , which is critical to keep things organised and get things done effectively .

What are you likely to be talking about during these two types of conversations?

Most likely you will be discussing what you both want and need as individuals, what you will do as acouple, or how you will interact with the people and environment around you. -the three areas we mentioned above. And good communication is likely to influence how you think , feel and act towards each other. When you communiocate effectively , you are more likely to understand each other’s intents and desires and less likely to be upset due to misunderstandings.

Article 3

Therefore, you behave in more helpful ways towards your partner because you both understand what actions would be best .

Foe example, after Jpoanne began to realise that her depression was tied to feeling less competent as a mother, she was able to express to Ian that what she really needed from him was to listen to her talk about her tough day for a few minutes when he got home from work , rather than telling her to rest and that he would ‘take care of everything’. She was able to share her appreciation for his good intentions in wanting to take care of her, but could also explain that she wanted to feel more competent as well as feeling heard and understood by Ian.

On the other hand , when couples are not communicating well, problems can mushroom , as Tom and Emilly experienced.

Article 4

Tom and Emily ‘s story

Tom and Emily came to counselling reporting that they didn’t understand each other any more and thus had been arguing more and more.

Emily complained that Tom didn’t listen, and Tom said that Emily talked ‘at him’ instead of ‘with him’. In the counselling sessions , Tom and Emily talked over each other and often rolled their eyes or frowned while the other was speaking .

However, when Tom was quiet , Emily used this as an evidence that she was the only one who cared about their marriage . Both felt alone , misunderstood and discouraged . Overall, Tom and Emily had both developed bad communications patterns and misinterested what the other was trying to say. Although there were many aspects of their relationship that needed to be addressed , they needed to focus on their communication skills early in treatment , so they could talk productively about a wide range of concerns.

I will complete in article 5 soon.