How Couples Therapy Can Help with Substance Use

When a relationship is impacted by substance use, it may become strained by trust issues, emotional distance, feelings of betrayal or resentment, and breakdowns in communication. Once you become aware of your negative patterns in the relationship and the role substance use plays in perpetuating the feeling of being stuck, you can learn to take back control and create healthier relationship patterns together.

Couples Therapy is a collaborative process where you and your partner explore challenging issues and share your needs and feelings with a therapist in a safe space. 

Couples Therapy Can Help With Substance Use In a Relationship

1. Addressing Underlying Emotional Needs 

Identify difficult emotions and heal underlying issues, such as unmet needs, or unresolved conflict and/or trauma through exploring your childhood and family history as well as relational patterns. Couples therapy can help you understand how underlying emotional needs are impacting your relationship.

2. Strengthening Connection and Communication 

Emotional connection serves as a foundation for healing, trust, and support. Couples therapy can help improve communication skills by offering a safe and supportive space for open dialogue and encouraging partners to respond with validation, curiosity, and empathy. This allows couples to turn to each other, instead of substances, for support and emotional relief.

3. Regulating Emotions

Couples therapy can help partners identify, understand, and manage difficult and overwhelming emotions more effectively, instead of turning to avoidant behaviours to escape difficult emotions. Strategies to regulate emotions include self-soothing activities, taking opposite action when experiencing emotional urges, and guided meditation with your partner.

4. Exploring Triggers and Healthy Coping Strategies

Couples therapy can help partners explore emotional and situational triggers and work together to develop healthier ways to manage stress in a supportive environment. Examples of triggers may include an argument, financial stress, and feelings of anger or sadness.

5. Creating a Shared Path to Healing

Couples therapy can help partners create a shared path to healing that honours each partner’s needs and lived experiences by collaboratively setting goals, establishing boundaries, and celebrating progress and successes together.

Final Thoughts

By implementing these approaches, couples can learn how to navigate the complexities of substance use, build trust, and re-establish their emotional and intimate connection. To learn more about how couples therapy can help when you or your partner are struggling with substance use, please reach out to Relationship Counselling Toronto to see how our therapists can help.