Marriage counseling, or couples therapy, is a type of counseling that focuses specifically on marriages and relationships. Marriage counselors, usually licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) are specifically trained to help couples diagnose their problems and work on solutions. Marriage counseling is a safe place for couples to discuss things and talk about what they really have in mind. There are many good strategies if you want to restore your marriage.
We suggest these 10 strategies to help you solve your marriage problems. According to relationship and marriage expert Dr. John Gottman, couples wait an average of six years of unhappiness before getting help. Globally recognized for his work on marital stability and divorce prediction, Dr.
John Gottman has conducted 40 years of groundbreaking research with thousands of couples. He is the author of more than 200 published academic articles and author or co-author of more than 40 books, including the bestselling The New York Times The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. After years of marriage, some couples no longer relate to each other and simply coexist as roommates. Divorce incidence peaks at different times, says David Woodsfellow, clinical psychologist and couples therapist and founder and director of the Woodsfellow Institute for Couples in Atlanta.
That second divorce is usually a growing divorce. It's about avoiding, not fighting. Money has always been a controversial topic for couples, but it adds additional end-of-life concerns that baby boomers face potential health problems, fewer (and fewer) years of purchasing power, not to mention lousy interest rates and having an environment conducive to financial friction. In a Harris Interactive survey, 36 percent of married people aged 55 to 64 said money matters cause arguments with spouses.
In the process of marriage counseling, some couples may find that it is healthier for them to be apart. However, for those relationships that can be saved, and for those couples willing to commit to the process, marriage therapy can remind them why they fell in love and keep them that way. Communication is key when it comes to solving marriage problems and marriage counseling is one of the best ways to improve communication skills, reach mutual understandings, and figure out how to move forward as a couple or amicably end a marriage, if that is the right choice for the couple. ACCORD Catholic Marriage Care Service offers marriage preparation courses for couples who choose to marry in the Catholic Church.
The American Marriage and Family Therapy Association is a great place to start looking for a marriage counselor. Taking note of this marriage advice from therapists, relationship experts, and more professionals is a good start. Definitely consider talking to a marriage counselor about this decision for more advice specifically tailored to your relationship. Many people think that you only go to a marriage counselor to fix a broken marriage, but you can explain that marriage therapy can also be used as a preventive measure.
According to research by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 98% of couples who try marriage counseling report that their therapists are “excellent” or “good”. Whatever form of marriage counseling you are seeking, you need to make sure that the marriage counselor is someone you trust, who is positive, open-minded, solution-oriented, and treats both of you with compassion. A separation to improve the marriage can be helpful if you and your spouse feel that the marriage would benefit from a time apart. While it is true that many marriages were not meant to be couples who separate or realize that they are incompatible, for example, many marriages end because couples do not have the tools to handle their problems.
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