Pensive Black man sitting in coffee shop
Not all men go to couples’ therapy without putting up a fight. Alright, most men will be pretty resistant at first. There are a number of factors at play here. For starters, men tend to be less willing to go to therapy—whether that’s one-one-one, group, or couples—than women are. Overall, men are less likely to seek the help of a therapist for emotional issues. Now, add their romantic partner into the mix, and they may be even less willing to involve an outside party. Men can be very proud, as well as very private. They worry about their therapist noticing patterns or pointing out habits. Not only can they feel that they and they alone should be able to fix their relationship without anyone’s help, but they can also feel that their relationship troubles are nobody’s business. If you are a woman whose partner won’t go to couples therapy, or you’re in therapy with a partner who isn’t really cooperating, there are things you can do. Here are ways to get your partner to cooperate in couples’ therapy.
Gettyimages.com/Young couple on bed, working on their laptops
Make it sound practical
Men appreciate practicality. They like to problem solve. If you focus more on the fact that a therapist is really just like a doctor for emotions, he may come around. You don’t leave a broken sink unfixed and you shouldn’t leave a damaged relationship damaged.
