What is the theory behind this Looking after your mental health worksheet? 

For the majority of adults, intimate connections are very important and have a significant impact on their overall health and well-being. Intimate connections that are pleasant can bring satisfaction, social support, and a buffer against the effects of many stresses. However, these partnerships can also have detrimental effects on one’s physical and mental health if they are marked by severe distress, destructive confrontations, or general discontent with the relationship. According to research, cognitive-behavioural couple therapy (CBCT) can help couples feel less distressed.. 

How will the worksheet help?

It’s common for relationships to have issues as time goes on. To prevent unfavourable outcomes, it is crucial to resolve them on time as a team. This worksheet will help clients to discuss their issues and find solutions to solve their problems.   

How to use the worksheet?  

The worksheet can be used by a therapist with the clients to make them aware of their problems and find the possible solution for the problems. Discussion after completing the worksheet can contribute to insight.

Problem solving worksheet for couples

Briefly define your problems. Discuss the causes of the problems. Be specific while defining your problem. 

List down the possible solutions that you can try to solve the problems

Now choose the best 3 possible solutions. Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution.

Solution 1                      Pros                                                                                                  cons

Solution 2                     Pros                                                                                                  cons

Solution 3                     Pros                                                                                                  cons

Evaluate the pros and cons of all the solutions. Pick one best solution or you can also merge two solutions to get a best solution.

Best solution

Now make your action plan. Make sure the goals should be smart and manageable. List each step of your action plan by discussing with each other. Remember to make an action plan on which you both partners agree.  Point to remember is “our goal is to solve the problem, not to change the person.”

References

Dugal, C., Bakhos, G., Bélanger, C., & Natacha Godbout, N. (2018). Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for Couples: An Insight into the Treatment of Couple Hardships and Struggles. In Ö. Şenormancı, & G. Şenormancı (Eds.), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Clinical Applications. IntechOpen. 

Bodenmann, G., Kessler, M., Kuhn, R., Hocker, L., & Randall, A. K. (2020). Cognitive-behavioral and emotion-focused couple therapy: Similarities and differences. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 2(3). 

You can download this worksheet here.