Trauma and Couple Therapy
Trauma and couple therapy is a specialized area of counseling that emphasizes how individuals can grow and heal within the context of their relationships, especially when trauma is part of the picture.
While childhood trauma can shape a person’s ability to emotionally connect, communicate with, and trust others (MacIntosh, 2019), individuals who have experienced trauma also possess incredible adaptability and strength. Survivors who form relationships may encounter some difficulties with communication or intimacy, however, these challenges can also be considered as opportunities for growth and deeper understanding (MacIntosh, 2016).
Those who have experienced childhood trauma may face emotional regulation difficulties. In some instances, survivors may feel the urge to withdraw or shut down when emotions become intense. However, this is a natural coping mechanism rooted in past experiences. When they work on developing skills to better regulate emotions, couples can start to view their relationship as a space for healing, compassion, and emotional connection. Rather than seeing emotional moments as obstacles, they can become opportunities for building empathy and mutual support.
With the help of a skilled therapist, individuals can understand how past trauma influences current relationship dynamics and can tap into their inherent strengths and resilience, deepen their bond, and create a loving, safe environment (Platt and Freyd, 2015). If you and your partner are navigating the impact of individual or shared trauma in your relationship, therapy can help you both build the skills to regulate emotions, manage conflict, deepen intimacy, and restore connection in all aspects of your partnership.
References
Godbout, N., Runtz, M. G., MacIntosh, H. B., & Briere, J. (2013). Childhood trauma and couple relationships. Integrating Science and Practice, 3(2), 14–17.
MacIntosh, H.B. (2019). Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma. Taylor & Francis.
MacIntosh, H. B. (2016). Dyadic traumatic reenactment: An integration of repetition and enactment into the understanding of negative interaction cycles in childhood trauma survivors and their partners in couple therapy. Clinical Social Work, 45(4), 345–353.
Platt, M. G., & Freyd, J. J. (2015). Betray my trust, shame on me: Shame, dissociation, fear, and betrayal trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 7(4), 398.
Elizabeth Waite, M.A. is a Registered Psychotherapist at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships (CFIR) working under the clinical supervision of Dr. Jean Kim, C.Psych. and Dr. Heather MacIntosh, C.Psych. Elizabeth provides therapy to adult individuals and couples and has training and interest in treating couples who have an individual or shared history of childhood trauma. She also has experience treating eating disorders and issues relating to anxiety, depression, grief and loss.
