When you fell in love with your partner, they gave you butterflies that made all your troubles fade away. You knew you could conquer anything together, but then life got hard. When things get difficult, you can always reap the benefits of couples therapy together.

Going to therapy doesn’t mean your relationship is broken or beyond repair. It’s the first step to making things right and restoring your peace. See if any of these benefits could take away the hurt and help you fall in love again.

1. It Improves Communication

Sometimes it’s difficult to say what you mean or get your partner to reveal what’s on their heart. The underlying tension results in fights that never get fully resolved. A couples counselor will give you the tools you need to improve your communication with each other, which you can also use with other people in your life.

2. It Guides Parenting Decisions

It’d be easy if there were one right way to be a parent, but every day brings new challenges and complications. Your partner might disagree on how to raise a toddler, a child or a teenager as the years pass.

A counselor or therapist acts as a safe middle ground that both people are more receptive to. You can discuss your disagreements and successes to feel like you’re on the same page regarding your kids.

3. It Repairs Intimacy Issues

There are many reasons why intimacy can fall apart in a relationship, like communication or health issues in your personal life. They usually point to underlying concerns that might be difficult to address. A professional will point out potential causes and identify solutions you can work toward together.

4. It Clarifies Your Feelings

Emotions can become muddled, even if you haven’t been with your partner for very long. Sorting through the confusing thoughts and feelings might require a little guidance. One of the benefits of couples therapy is that it gives your partner the power to stand by your side while working through everything. With their support, you won’t experience emotional fatigue symptoms that could happen if you felt isolated during the process.

5. It Speeds Self-Growth

Everyone should enjoy self-growth even when they’re in a relationship. If you haven’t felt like that’s the case for you, couples therapy will show you how to prioritize your needs while nurturing your relationship.

A therapist can identify symptoms and show you how to spend time on yourself without complicating things with your partner. Common problems like facing failure and dealing with chronic anxiety can affect your relationship without you even realizing it.

6. It Creates a Team Mindset

A complicated history can create a divide in your relationship. Things might feel off because the distance prevents you from working as a team. When you have to find a way through money problems or toxic in-laws, you shouldn’t ever feel alone. Therapy will show you the way back to each other so you have each other’s backs during tough times.

7. It Strengthens Your Support

Relationships require commitment. Couples therapy is a way to set time aside to focus on renewing that commitment if it faded. You should both support each other and your individual growth. With time and a few scheduled sessions, you’ll learn how to give each other the support you need to maintain a long-distance relationship or allow each other to thrive in your personal lives.

8. It Paints the Future

You might have reached a point where you wonder if your relationship will last. Should you keep trying or go your separate ways? A therapist will sift through your current challenges and listen to your history. Even though they won’t tell you what to do, their advice will reaffirm whichever choice you feel is best for yourself and your partner.

Experience the Benefits of Couples Therapy

You’ll experience the benefits of couples therapy if you find a therapist who specializes in your shared or personal history. If you’re not sure what that is — like divorce, sexual assault or medical diagnoses — starting a session with a counselor you trust will help you identify them if they’re something you need to address.

After you get started, you and your partner will learn tools you can use in your relationship and with other people in your lives. Figuring out how you communicate, where you need personal growth and how to parent together are just a few of the long-term benefits of couples therapy.