Genoveva Mendoza and Ana Bayo are psychologists specializing in couples therapy. In addition, they are both founders and CEO of Wefeel, a mobile application designed to prevent problems in romantic relationships.
The project, which started two years ago, has more than 1 million users and downloads. Ana Payo, one of the app’s founders, explains that behind the app are expert interpersonal psychologists who design the games or “micro moments” that make up the app.
Almost 100% of people who go to therapy for relationship problems are adults, although it also regularly occurs in young adults and teens.
Wefeel: Train our relationships
A Harvard study indicates that 80% of people believe that the primary factor that affects their happiness is the quality of the relationships they have with others.
“When patients come for a consultation, they do so for many reasons, But there’s always a major thrust that something just isn’t working in personal relationshipsexplains Genoveva Mendoza.
Mendoza continues, “For many adults basically, therapy is the last resort to move the relationship forward, because in this country couples therapy is understood as a last cartridge when in fact the relationship has been going bad for a long time.”
Experts say that most couples who They go to therapy, reach a relationship in a very critical condition and end after a short time.
“Little by little, we have seen that there is a very large gap between the moment when a couple falls in love and starts dating, and the moment when they are about to break up. In the middle stages, couples do not have enough information to face their relationship problems until they end up together,” explains Genoveva Mendoza. by separation.
In this space both psychologists decided to work. With the aim of being able to improve the prevention of these problems.
Not everyone has the same vision of life and that is why, sometimes, the idea of a relationship a person has in mind conflicts with that of their partner.
Thus, this project arose with the aim of strengthening the relationship before anticipating potential relationship problems.
It is a global, informative and accessible initiative so that people can train their way of communicating with others and their partners.
It is designed for all types of couples and relationships. Also for a large age group because it is as good for young people as it is for adults.
How can the app help prevent relationship problems?
The application uses a methodology based on the professional experience of psychologists who, after years of consultation, have noticed shortcomings when it comes to preventing problems in interpersonal relationships.
Paul Goodman was an American psychologist who authored the largest study of marital relationships.
What are the main pillars that must be worked on in order for the relationship to remain healthy? What are the keys to understanding my partner’s needs?
These are the guidelines Wefeel’s founders gathered from Paul Goodman’s in-app study.
The balance within the relationship must be positive. Anna Baio says.
The psychologist sums it up: “The idea is to build or help couples to be emotionally intelligent couples, in which the balance is always positive, and in which the number of positive interactions between them increases throughout the day.”
New couple paradigms, same problems in relationships
The two new models bring to the couple new ways of communication, but despite this, experts assure that the problems of the spouses are usually the same regardless of the type of relationship you have.
“Even the most traditional relationships can suffer from marital problems. Every couple is a world with different rules and way of working and you have to meet the needs of that relationship,” explains psychologist Anna Baio.
What is this relationship symbol? What do each of them need on an individual level and what do they need as a relationship? What is this model that is so interesting to them, that makes them happy as a couple?
The app leaves complete freedom to each couple to define their criteria and It is simply responsible for the reinforcement through daily games and reminders, The little things that, according to Genoveva Mendoza, keep the illusion of a relationship alive.
Tips for preventing relationship problems
- Get rid of our stereotypes About what our past relationships were like, our parents’ relationship, the relationships we see on the internet… Every couple is a world and we have to give it a chance For our relationship so that it can be built from scratch, with its own personality.
- Don’t try to change the other. Accept how the other person is because they won’t change unless they want to, and the more flexible you are, the more flexible you are. It will give him more room to adapt.
- Choose well. If we’re early on, it’s best to make sure we choose well, because that will make things a lot easier. If we don’t choose well, we will spend our entire lives in our relationship Fighting things that are very essential to us. This requires knowing ourselves well and accepting what we need.
- Keep each other’s curiosity alive and don’t assume, Since we’ve been around for so long, we already know each other and we don’t have anything to say to each other. In is a very common mistake, which separates us emotionally.
- Communicate, But Don’t Talk Just to Talk: There are people who find it easier to communicate, and others who find it less important. The important thing is that the communication is well directed and not just talk, but argument for the sake of argument.
