Relationships are hard work and there are times when couples need the help of a qualified professional to assist with increasing communication and decreasing conflict. Maintaining a relationship and solving problems takes skills that many individuals do not naturally have. They may think that they are doing all that they can to solve problems and improve communication, however, many fail to help their relationship on their own. Sadly, the divorce rate has been 50% for the past 30 years and many couples do not attempt marriage counseling prior to divorce. Many individuals may be surprised that their partner is willing to work on the relationship once they enter couples or marriage therapy.

Benefits of Couples Therapy
The skills needed to maintain a healthy relationship can be learned with the help of a trained couple’s therapist. One of the benefits of couple’s therapy is that a professional can be a great benefit in teaching couples’ new ways to solve their problems and getting their needs met. Couples can learn to problem solve in a healthy manner rather than in an unproductive way that leaves the couple feeling stuck and hopeless. In marriage counseling, the couple will learn to listen, respond and process what each other is communicating rather than getting defensive and angry with one another. Each can learn to communicate their needs in a clear manner without resorting to hurtful measures and demands. Marriage counseling offers a safe environment where couples can express their hurt and unhappiness without judgment. The marriage therapist is trained to observe and highlight unhealthy interactions between a couple for the couple to become aware of negative interaction patterns and to ultimately work on changing them. Getting feelings that have been bottled up for years in the presence of a trained professional may be the start of mending wounds and gaining a deeper understanding of one another.

What to expect at the first visit
The marriage therapist will take a thorough history of the relationship and identify how the couple is stuck in their interaction. Each person will have an opportunity to express their feelings and definition of the problem and together the therapist will develop a treatment plan with goals and estimated length of treatment. Depending on the therapeutic style of the therapist, each partner may be asked to meet alone for a few sessions and then come back together as a couple or they may be given homework exercises to complete between sessions. It is important that couples commit to at least 12 sessions with the therapist rather than giving up too soon. It is important to remember that it took a long time to get to the place of difficulty and discord and it will take some time for each partner to make and see changes.

Do not hesitate to call our office today and schedule your first visit, you owe it to your relationship!