Africa-Press – Angola. “Thank you, doctor! After the consultation we had with you, our relationship improved a lot and today we live happily”.
The sentence was pronounced by a woman when she returned, with her husband, to the office of psychologist Leonilde Ferreira de Sousa, to thank her personally for the result of the couple therapy that she and her husband underwent.
The psychologist used the phrase, in a conversation with Jornal de Angola, as an example of the thanks she often receives from several couples who have already successfully resorted to her office for couple therapy.
“With therapy, it is possible to contribute so that the relationship does not sink and does not lead the couple to the path of unwanted separation”, explained the clinical psychologist, who said that the couple therapist is a “facilitator and mediator of dialogue”.
Couple therapy is an activity conducted by a psychologist, who, in a “space under ethical and professional secrecy”, helps couples when they need help to deal with problems or issues that are negatively interfering with their relationship, explained Leonilde Ferreira de Sousa. The specialist in
Clinical Psychology, graduated from Universidade Agostinho Neto, warned that “the ideal time for a couple to seek help from a professional is when they realize that it is no longer possible to solve problems and that attempts to maintain the relationship are about to run out”.
The clinical psychologist revealed that she has been sought out by couples of various age groups, for a reason that she translated as follows: “love is a matter that, when injured, needs an urgent solution, regardless of age”.
The number of couples looking for the services of therapists is still small, but the tendency is to increase because, according to the psychologist Leonilde de Sousa, “the culture of going to the psychologist in Angola is increasing “.
Angola, the psychologist listed the main marital problems that come to her office: poor communication, financial problems, difficult relationship with in-laws, bad habits (arguing about small things, always criticizing), sexual problems (lack of sex, impotence, premature ejaculation) , betrayal, alcoholism and unemployment.
The psychologist emphasized her professional experience to warn that the biggest problems for couples in Angola are unemployment, infidelity, financial problems, bad relationships with in-laws, cultural problems, alcoholism, separation and jealousy.
“It is not necessary to wait for the crisis to be deep to look for a psychologist”, recommended the psychologist, who said, regretting that there are “couples who only seek help when they feel that the relationship is on the verge of breaking”.
“There is no magic formula in couple therapy”, warned the psychologist, stressing that the psychologist, not being a magician, “helps the couple to identify conflicts and acts as a mediator, for the couple to learn to deal with problems and search for solutions for the resolution of conflicts”.
The couple therapist works, in some cases, in a multidisciplinary team and, depending on the patient’s needs, each professional works in their area, informed the psychologist Leonilde Ferreira de Sousa.
For example, according to the psychologist, in order to resolve a case of sexual dissatisfaction, a multidisciplinary team must be created, with the involvement of specialists in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Urology and Sexology, and, she reiterated, each professional must act in their area.
To a question about whether it is very difficult to forgive, if the problem is infidelity, the couples therapist replied: “many people can forgive their spouse or try to forgive”.
“Forgiving a betrayal is a couple’s business”, defended the psychologist, stressing that “whoever was unfaithful needs to understand the damage they caused to their partner or partner”.
If there is forgiveness, because there is still love, the important thing, according to the psychologist, “is the establishment of a commitment to avoid resentment, rancor and jealousy”. of family members of both spouses, the therapist replied: “in some cases, yes. In addition to the couple, the therapist works with other family members, enhancing a significant improvement in the family environment”.
“Prices for couples therapy vary from clinic to clinic, from clinic to clinic, from therapist to therapist, and in Angola there are still no standardized prices”, thus answered the psychologist to the question about how much it costs, on average, couple therapy.
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