7 Extremely Effective Couples Therapy Exercises You Can Try at Home

There are quite a few couples therapy exercises you can try at home, especially since everyone has a lot of daily responsibilities, long to-do lists and big stressors in their life.

That’s why it’s sometimes so easy to neglect your partner or to take them for granted. That special connection you share with your significant other needs to be cultivated, and couples therapy can help you strengthen your relationship and work through difficulties.

Here are a few very effective couples therapy exercises that you should try, since they will help you get closer to your partner and nourish a stronger bond:

1. APPRECIATION LIST

In my opinion, this is definitely one of the most effective couples therapy exercises you can try at home. For five days, you are supposed to write one thing every day that your partner did that you appreciated. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture; you can add simple, sweet gestures that actually mean a lot to you - for example, the fact that they joined you for your daily walk in the park.

2. AIR YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY

Just like your clothes, your relationship gets dirty every day as well, since all kinds of unspoken resentments and minor irritations sneak into your interactions. Once a week, ask your partner to tell you what things you did that made them feel unappreciated, unloved or disrespected. Maybe at first, they will tell you that everything is fine, but just dig a little deeper and really listen to what they have to say.

3. MAKE A FUN LIST

I’m sure that there are a lot of fun things you would like to do with your partner. Just make a list and try to check one item off that list every month or even every week. Try to enjoy each other’s company more and discover what common interests you two share that you didn’t even suspect.

4. RESOLVE DISAGREEMENTS BEFORE BED

Make sure you always resolve disagreements before bed, since arguments that linger without being resolved usually lead to frustration and resentment. In the long term, these things are really toxic to your relationship and your happiness. Just try to resolve your arguments on the day that they start and focus on finding a solution that will satisfy both of you.

5. THE LOVE LIST

Just write down five things that your partner can do or that they already do to show you their love. This way, you will notice much better how your partner tells you that they love you every day without actually saying it. Most of the time, those are not big and expensive gestures, but small and significant little things that are very simple to do but which show you how much they love you.

6. HONESTY HOUR

You could try having an honesty hour every week where you would be allowed to tell your partner how you feel about certain things with complete immunity. This way, you will learn to be more honest with each other, you will listen more carefully and you will learn to respect each other’s opinions without taking things too personally.

7. INTIMACY BUILDER

Take your significant other and just go into a room that isn’t your bedroom, turn off your phones, put your kids to bed and then simply sit so you’re facing each other and your knees are almost touching. Then, take a minute or even more and just look into each other’s eyes, consider your thoughts, reactions and feelings and then, share them with your partner. This exercise promotes that intimacy that is often lost in the busyness of our day and it helps us tune into our partner’s inner world, as well as into our own.

If your relationship is in distress it’s very important to seek counseling, since it can help you solve a lot of problems. Do you know any other wonderful couples therapy exercises that everyone can try at home? Please tell us about them in the comments section!



Corina Dondas (All womens talk)