Talking Points with Purva Patel

Camps are not just for kids. This summer enrich your mind and improve your relationship skills at the Couple Zone Workshop. Lights Camera Action Houston Society News Host Ruchi Mukherjee, sat down with a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate, Purva Patel to know more about Couple Zone, important facts about relationships in the South Asian Community and their upcoming workshop on July 19, 2014.

Tell us about the Couple Zone’s upcoming enrichment workshops.

Every other month The Couple Zone offers a Saturday morning workshop for couples in committed relationships interested in learning new ways to understand and better relate to each other. Couples will learn to:

1. Understand their own unique patterns of arguing and disconnecting
2. Improve communication
3. Grow closer
4. And for the long term – Understand the powerful role emotions play in their relationship

Each couple will receive a copy of “Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy for Dummies,” a nationally acclaimed book written by The Couple Zone’s own President, Brent Bradley, Ph.D. The book is refreshingly based on the most recent research in couple’s counseling and Dr. Bradley’s own 20 years of experience working with and researching couples. The book is intentionally men-friendly – something very important since we believe it takes both partners to do couple counseling. It’s a book full of exercises couples can do together.

Our upcoming workshop dates are June 21st and July 19th from 9 am to 1 pm. Seating is limited. Registration is on CoupleZone.org.

Why is it so important for the South Asian Community?

It’s important because our adult partner is the most significant partner in our lives, and in our children’s lives. People think healthy relationships just happen, but they don’t. It takes work and understanding. What we are offering is a highly-research based program, unlike a lot of other stuff out there. We have highly trained couples counselors leading the workshops, and for a very low fee. It’s The Couple Zone’s way of giving back to the community.

‘Is divorce taboo?’  This is often asked by different cultures. How would you answer that?

Well, first off, our workshops are not designed for couples considering divorce. A couple that is distressed needs counseling with just the couple and a counselor.

Divorce is a difficult decision for any couple. A well-trained couple’s therapist can help a couple evaluate their next steps. Researchers have found that many couples find themselves feeling stuck in certain patterns of arguing, often having the same fight over and over again and feeling distant from each other. An experienced counselor can help the couple uncover and share their deeper, softer emotions, which can actually draw them closer and help them reconnect. All of us at The Couple Zone are well-versed in the signs of impending divorce, and we are here to help.

Give us a few tips to improve our relationships.

Make your relationship a priority. Partners in a secure relationship feel confident their partner will be available and responsive when they need them on an emotional level. A couple whose emotional connection is strong can ride out whatever life brings them. Couples build that connection by being emotionally accessible, responsive and engaged. They can lean on each other to get through tough times. Remind your partner through your actions how important he or she is to you. Remind them through notes or texts that they are on your mind, appreciate them, take time to remember positive moments in your relationship history, and keep working on your emotional connection.