Can Marriage Counseling Really Help Your Relationship?

When I first started my practice, I remember reading a statistic about divorce that I found shocking. And that was that 40-50% of all marriages in the United States ended in divorce.

Divorce rates had hit 40 and 50% in the 1980’s.  Since then the divorce rate has been declining. While everyone has their theory as to why the rate is falling, the theory among therapists is that it is because marriage counseling actually works, and more couples are giving it a try.

If you and your spouse are experiencing difficulties, here are some reasons why you should give marriage counseling a try. And if you’re talking divorce, you may especially want to check out discernment counseling to get clearer on your relationship:

Identifying Patterns

One of the biggest benefits of seeking counseling is having help seeing negative behavioral patterns, whether those patterns are yours as individuals and/or as a couple. Healing can only begin once patterns have been recognized.

Impartial Advice

A therapist is not like a friend or family member who is going to take sides and hand out potentially harmful advice. Marriage counselors have a track record of dealing with all sorts of marital issues and want to understand what’s going on so they can offer the best strategies for healing.

A Safe Space

Marriage counseling and discernment therapy offers both spouses a safe space to be completely open and honest with their feelings. If not delivered in the right space, complete honesty can have adverse effects. Counseling offers a safe environment in which no one is ever judged.

A Place to Rebuild Trust

Trust is the bedrock of every relationship. But when that trust is broken, as it is through infidelity, it is hard to put the pieces back together. Marriage counselors have years of experience dealing with issues of infidelity. Counseling explores different ways to rebuild trust one step at a time.

Bringing Out Toxic Emotions

Did you know that trapped toxic emotions are one of the main reasons marriages break down? When you have feelings of anger, resentment and frustration locked deep inside you, they fester there and make matters worse. Counseling offers the space and opportunity to let these emotions out in healthy, respectful ways.

 Discernment counseling is brief short term counseling to determine what’s next.

If your relationship is on the rocks right now, divorce is not your only solution. And if you’re not sure if divorce is the way to go, discernment therapy can help the both of you sort out your relationship.  Thousands of couples have been helped by this counseling and it’s worth it to you both to give it a shot.

For discernment counselors, you can check out them here:  https://discernmentcounseling.com/

If the conclusion of counseling is divorce, I can help your family navigate in the kindest, gentlest, and smartest way possible that’s private and confidential.