What are the Benefits of Couples Counseling?
The idea of marriage counseling is something that many couples don’t want to think about. Partners may not want to discuss their lives with a stranger, they may not want to admit that their relationship needs help, or they may be concerned about time and money. Many couples benefit from just a few sessions of marriage counseling with an experienced therapist. There are even intensive therapy options which allow a couple to fast-track their learning and develop relationship skills in a day. Couples can meet, talk about the way that they feel, and even uncover some truths that they may not have seen before.
If your relationship is struggling, flat-lining, or if you just want to work out a problem, therapy counseling or a relationship intensive could be a method to making this happen.
When To Seek Marriage/Couples Counseling
For each couple, there is a different reason to seek marriage counseling. There is no doubt that marriage and couples counseling is something that’s needed when you both argue over even simple things. But if you aren’t doing that, do you really need to consider it?
Here are some situations when counseling therapy could help to boost your relationship and support you through all of life’s challenges:
- Do you find yourself struggling with getting your feelings out? Perhaps you don’t say things because you are worried about the way the other person will react?
- Has some stressful, tragic, or otherwise large event happened which has impacted your life? Illness, loss of a loved one, or lifestyle changes can often be a trigger for marriage struggles to start.
- Do you have differing approaches to money? Financial concerns are one of the most popular reasons to seek marriage counseling. Fighting about money is often the cause of most fights during any marriage, but this can be brought under control without either of you fighting over it.
Life events often require the need to sit down and talk to someone, but other events just build up over time. Perhaps there is a bit of guilt, resentment, or other feelings that have simply built up over the years and have caused much of the pain that you both feel. Any time that you think that there is something that needs to be worked through, a certified marriage therapist can be a helping hand to make this happen.
A skilled couples therapist can help you get to the root of the issue and quickly help partners take accountability for their part in the distress.
When you got married, you were interested in talking about things and learning more about one another. Now that you are struggling, don’t skimp on communication. If you have trouble finding resolution or don’t even bring up painful topics, maybe it is time to schedule your first session.