You haven't had a real conversation for weeks except for a few arguments over money or late nights out....but no heart-to-hearts. Sex? What's that? Your marriage is on the rocks - you both know it - but aren't sure how to fix it or if you really want to.
It may be time for marriage counseling. Marriage counseling can help you rebuild your relationship or decide that you'll both be better off going your own ways. Either way, marriage counseling can help you understand your relationship better and make well thought out decisions.
Marriage counseling, also called couples therapy, helps couples - married or not - understand and resolve conflicts or improve their relationship. Marriage counseling gives couples the tools to communicate better, negotiate differences, problem solve and even argue in healthier ways. The counselor helps couples pinpoint and understand the source of their conflicts and try to resolve them. Marriage counseling is often short-term. You may need only a few sessions to help you weather a crisis or make a decision or you may need marriage counseling for several months, particularly if your relationship has greatly deteriorated. Marriage counseling is provided by staff with a masters degree, licensure, and who specialize in couples counseling.
Most marriages and other relationships aren't perfect. Each person brings his or her own ideas, values, opinions and personal history into a relationship, and they don't always match the partner's. These differences can be complementary and can also help people understand, respect and accept opposing views and cultures. But relationships can be tested. Differences or habits that you once found endearing may now grate on your nerves. Sometimes, specific issues, such as an extramarital affair, can trigger conflict in a relationship. Other times, there's a gradual disintegration of communication and caring.
No matter what the cause, distress in a relationship can create undue stress, tension, sadness, worry, fear and other problems. You may hope your relationship troubles just go away on their own. But left to fester, a bad relationship may only worsen and eventually lead to physical or psychological problems, such as depression. A bad relationship also can create problems on the job and affect other family members, such as children or your friendships as people feel compelled to take sides.
You don't need a troubled relationship to seek therapy. Marriage counseling can help couples who simply want to strengthen their bonds and gain a better understanding of each other. Marriage counseling also can help couples who plan to marry - ironing out differences before a union is sealed. What if your partner refuses to attend marriage counseling? You can go on your own. It may be more challenging, of course, to patch up relationships when only one partner is willing to go to therapy but you can still benefit by learning more about your reactions and behavior in the relationship.
Marriage counseling is provided by masters degree and licensed counselors who specialize in couples counseling. For further information call 419 734 2942 ext. 0.