Deciding to attend marriage counseling is not a choice most couples take lightly. Whether you have reached a crossroads in your relationship, recognize a need for change and are tired all the time, or think this has been a long time coming, taking care of your relationship should be a priority in order for growth to occur.
After you have decided that marriage counseling is the right move for your relationship, you might be confused about where to begin. Finding a counselor you both like and trust can be difficult; that is why the professionals at MyTherapist are equipped with a range of therapists to meet your needs. Learn more by clicking here: https://www.mytherapist.com/.
Common Signs You Might Need Marriage Counseling
- Fighting: This often feels like the most obvious catalyst for marriage counseling. While these fights might start out as small bickering, the resentment created from unfinished fighting can be catastrophic to a relationship. If fighting becomes more intense, verbally or physically, seeking professional help should be a top priority. Feeling safe should be one of the most important parts of any relationship.
- Infidelity: Another common cause of marital strife is infidelity. If one partner has cheated, renewing that trust can be incredibly difficult to do alone. Even if you think that you have resolved the problem, instead of letting it slide, talk to a professional.
- Lack of boundaries: If one partner is severely encroaching on another partner’s boundaries, this can be a sign that marriage counseling is needed. Even in a marriage, personal boundaries are important.
- Falling out of love: Especially in long-term marriages, a couple might fall out of love for a season. Making this concept less taboo can make or break a relationship. Realize that you can decide to seek marriage counseling and work together to increase the quality of the marriage and renew the love that has been lost if desired.
- Children: If you are struggling with your spouse and it is having a direct effect on your children, seeking marriage counseling can be essential to preserving the family unit. When parents are in need of counseling, a child can likely feel that tension at any age. Instead of putting it off out of fear, try to work out your issues with a counselor for the best available guidance.
What Couples May Get Out of Counseling
- You actually want to fix the relationship: While this one feels like it should be at the core of every reason, not every couple will enter therapy with an open mind for change. For couples to really want to make the necessary changes, they must go into therapy with an open mind and open heart. Some couples can come around to this realization at any point throughout the process, but wanting to fix the relationship is often the conclusion most people initially want to reach.
- You want out: On the flip side, some people might enter marriage counseling with the hope of an amicable break. Rather than ending on a sour note, some people try to save the marriage before they decide they are better off splitting up.
- Someone was unfaithful: Whether you are hoping to save the marriage or just hoping to save the friendship, some people enter marriage counseling because one person (or both) was unfaithful. Working through this broken trust is hard to do alone, and can therefore be important to enlist the help of a professional counselor, regardless of the intended or actual end goal.
Conclusion
Counseling to some might feel like a last-ditch effort to save a relationship, but it can be the very thing needed to resolve long-standing problems. Instead of underestimating the power of counseling, give it a try and see if it suits your marriage style.
