Being in a couple where one of the people suffers from a psychiatric disorder or mental health problem can be very difficult. When exhaustion and frustration increase the feelings can turn to anger and resentment. Couples therapy can often be helpful. The couples that are most likely to stay together are the ones that acknowledge the problem and get help.

Choosing the Right Couples Therapist

While couples counseling has long been established as an effective form of intervention, the usual clinical strategies are less effective when underlying psychiatric issues exist.

Therapists struggle to find options to promote enduring positive changes for these couples. Because different approaches, techniques and ethical considerations are required for success, it is important that therapists become more skilled in recognizing and treating existing psychiatric disorders within couples counseling.

If a one or both people in a relationship are dealing with mental health issues, it is important to find a therapist who has experience working with those specific issues. For example, a therapist who has training and experience with eating disorders will better understand how the problem impacts the both the individual and the relationship.

In addition to competency, a good couples therapist is sensitive to the fact that living with a mental health problem is a challenge. In both couples and individual counseling, I look beyond a "diagnosis" so I can appreciate the human being I am experiencing and communicating with.

How Psychiatric Disorders Affect Relationships

When someone in an intimate relationship has a psychiatric disorder or other mental health problem, it can exacerbate other difficulties in the relationship. Some of the most common mental health problems in relationships are the following. Click on the link to learn more about it affects relationships.

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Addiction
• Codependency
• Eating Disorders
• Attention Disorders
• Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease