An Online Therapist Can Help You Communicate With Your Partner

Medically reviewed by Audrey Kelly, LMFT
Updated October 13, 2024by Regain Editorial Team

One way to strengthen your relationship with your partner can be to work on your communication skills with a therapist. A therapist can help you communicate with your partner by making you feel understood, aiding you in releasing resentment, teaching you how to show gratitude, helping you see your partner’s perspective, and serving as a mediator as you talk about infidelity or other issues. Two types of therapy that are proven to be effective in helping couples manage relationship stress are cognitive behavioral therapy and emotion-focused therapy. Online couples therapy can be an effective alternative to traditional in-office therapy, so please don’t hesitate to reach out for the professional guidance you deserve.

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Strengthen your relationship with effective communication

Online therapy can help you feel understood

In general, we all want to feel understood, and that can be part of the beauty of being in a relationship. You may enter it feeling like your partner not only understand your feelings, but also cares about them. No matter how much you care about somebody, there may be times when your partner may not understand, and that can be a normal part of any relationship. But when you two are on different pages, and you can't seem to understand each other’s ways of thinking, it can be frustrating, and you may feel hurt, isolated, and misunderstood. What can you do about this? This is one area where working with an online therapist can help.

Human beings often speak different emotional languages and express their feelings differently. When it doesn't seem like your partner hears you, it could be because you are speaking your own emotional language, and they can't understand it. This is where a couples therapist, whether in person or online, can essentially act as a translator and help you and your partner understand each other and express yourselves effectively.

Online therapy can help you release resentment

Sometimes your partner may feel resentful toward you (or vice versa), and that can feel uncomfortable. They may be holding a grudge over something that you did, and it can be difficult for both of you to talk about the situation and move past it. This may be another scenario in which an online therapist can help the two of you. 

Resentment generally doesn't help your relationship grow; it often drives people apart. Your online therapist can help you as a couple learn to express what the bitterness is so that you can understand why your partner is upset and work toward a solution. Sometimes it may be more than an apology that needs to happen. It's usually about the person changing their behavior. Maybe your partner feels like you do not appreciate them, and they want you to be more outwardly thankful for what they do for you. Your online therapist can help you as a couple work through these issues and learn to be grateful for each other rather than harboring resentment.

Online therapy can teach you how to show gratitude

People tend to communicate their feelings differently. It could be that you truly are grateful, but your partner doesn't understand the way that you're communicating your gratitude. They might need to experience thankfulness in a different way than what you're showing them. When you're in an online therapy session with your online therapist and your partner, it can be an excellent time to ask your partner how they would like you to communicate gratitude. Maybe they need you to say the words "thank you," or perhaps they want you to show them that you're grateful through your actions. They might want you to reciprocate by helping them when they need something. It's often better to ask your partner what they need rather than assuming; there's generally less room for misunderstanding when you communicate openly. A therapist can help the two of you figure out how you’d like to be shown gratitude and communicate that to each other.

Online therapy can help you see your partner’s perspective

It can be hard to see something from another person's perspective because we tend to be rooted in our viewpoints. An online therapist normally isn't going to take one person's side; a big part of their job can be seeing both sides of a situation when working with couples. If one of you is having trouble viewing things from the other's perspective, that may be where a therapist can help. They're generally going to listen to the problem and show you what your partner is trying to tell you. You might not agree with your partner's perspective, but at least you'll be able to see where they're coming from and accept it as their opinion, and vice versa.

Online therapy can help you communicate regarding infidelity

Relationships are generally built on trust, and when that trust is broken, it can be hard to get it back. When your partner is unfaithful, it can be devastating. The trust between you may have been shattered. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of the relationship. If the two of you are willing to work together and talk about the infidelity, and you can do that with an online therapist, there can be a chance for you to express your feelings about how the experience impacted you. 

An online therapist can mediate between the two of you as you navigate this exceptionally highly charged emotional situation and examine ways for you to reconnect and begin to rebuild trust once again.

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Strengthen your relationship with effective communication

Online therapy can help couples grow

Working with a licensed therapist online can be an investment in your relationship and mental health. In comparison to in-office therapy, online couples therapy can be more available and affordable. You and your partner may connect to a therapist from the comfort of your home at a time that fits into your busy schedules.

According to a study, online couples therapy is generally as effective as in-office couples therapy. Either type of therapy can be an excellent way to get the help you deserve in strengthening your relationship.

Takeaway

Effective communication often strengthens relationships, and you can learn how to communicate more effectively with your partner by working with an online therapist. An online couple's therapist can help each of you feel understood, release resentment, show gratitude in a way that makes each other feel appreciated, and learn to see each other’s perspectives. Your therapist can also mediate difficult conversations, such as talking about infidelity or other problems you may be experiencing. Online therapy is typically just as effective as in-person therapy, so if you’re interested in getting help from a licensed professional, you may consider online couples therapy as a convenient and available option.

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