Taking time to focus on your relationship
Everyday life can easily end up revolving around work, children, hobbies and other responsibilities. In the same way, practical matters can gradually take up more space in a relationship than genuine connection.
“If Only I Knew You Better”, a couples’ course starting in September at the South Ostrobothnia Family Counselling Centre, offers couples an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on their relationship together.
The course is based on emotion-focused therapy, an extensively researched approach. Its aim is to help couples better understand both themselves and each other.
“This is also a journey towards greater self-awareness. We explore how we respond to different situations and how we influence one another,” explains family counsellor Riikka Uuksulainen.
Breaking the negative cycle
During the course, particular attention is paid to the moments when the connection between partners begins to break down. This is when a so-called negative cycle can develop, as both partners fall back on their habitual ways of reacting.
“We try to identify each couple’s negative cycle and find ways to prevent it from taking hold. This can help strengthen the relationship,” explains family counsellor Anne Bexar.
The course is open to couples of all ages and in all kinds of life situations. Whether you have been together for many years or are just starting out, you are welcome to take part. However, the course is not intended to resolve serious relationship crises or situations where a break-up is imminent.
“The course is intended for ordinary couples: people whose relationships are still developing and who want to work on them,” says Uuksulainen.
Working on your relationship together
In long-term relationships, it is easy to feel that you know your partner inside out. However, people are constantly changing.
“There is a common misconception that we know each other better than we actually do. No one stays the same. We grow and mature, but we also change. That is why it is important to keep talking to each other,” Bexar points out.
This is not a peer support group where participants discuss private matters in front of others. Instead, the conversations and exercises take place privately between each couple.
The course starting at the end of September can accommodate a maximum of seven couples. Participation is free of charge; the only expense is the cost of the course materials.
Kunpa sinut tuntisin paremmin -parisuhdekurssi
- Perustuu tunnekeskeiseen pariterapian
- Maksuton kurssi sisältää kuusi tapaamiskertaa, joista ensimmäinen on lauantaina 26.9. ja viimeinen maanantaina 23.11.2026
- Työskentely tapahtuu pääosin oman puolison kanssa
- Mukaan mahtuu seitsemän paria
- Sopii kaikenikäisille pareille parisuhteen eri vaiheissa
- Lisätiedot ja ilmoittautuminen 15.9.2026 mennessä Seinäjoen seurakunnan verkkosivuilla
