A common coping skill suggested in the therapy room is the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding skill which is finding 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. We thought it would be fun to take inspiration from ​The Shrink Chicks​ on IG and give our own spin on this skill.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Couples Therapist Edition

5 Gratitudes for the Couples We Work With

1. Your willingness to invest and grow your relationship.

2. Fighting against the mental health stigma and showing that therapy is good, healthy, and wise.

3. Allowing us, as your therapists, to impact you and trust us with your pain and hurt.

4. Helping us be accountable to have healthy marriages with our own partners.

5. Not letting shame hold you back and developing compassion for yourself and your partner.

   
   

4 Important Skills for Managing Conflict

1. There's no pride in saying "We never fight"--all you are saying is that you are great at avoiding. Conflict is inevitable--learning how to manage it and navigate it in a healthy way is something to be proud of.

2. Listening deeply is more impactful than responding to defend.

3. Yield to win--what you want and need is just as important as what your partner wants and needs.

4. Curiosity is key--it is hard to get out of conflict if you have zero curiosity for your partner, what is happening, and what is needed to repair.

   
   

3 Ways to Spark Intimacy in Your Relationship

1. Ask the high and low each day with one another and actually listen to one another.

2. Plan a date night either at home or out and put your phones away while you date one another.

3. Express daily appreciation for one another and let it impact you.

   
   

2 Relationship Myths

1. To understand you means I need to agree with you. To understand you means I can empathize and validate with your perspective and experience AND still not agree or feel the same.

2. Compromise means sacrificing what I need for you to get what you need. Compromise means I honor and respect what I need as much as I honor and respect what you need and we work together to find a creative way to ensure both needs are supported.

   
   

1 Takeaway We Want You To Have From Couples Therapy

1. Building a relationship is a lifetime effort and investment.

What would you make for your own version? Tell us in the comments section.