What Happens During Marriage Counseling?

By Ruthie Calderon


Being in a relationship in this day and age can be very trying, particularly on married couples. Considering the amount of stress people go through on a daily basis with work and general lifestyle, as well as the development of technology allowing accessibility to practically any and everything around the world, it's no wonder that many couple find it hard to survive. Marriage counseling is an option that some couples turn to when there is nothing left and they feel like they are about to give up. It is the one thing that may be able to help restore what once was strong.

Deciding to go to therapy for couple is really a big step that you should be applauded for. This is the first in many steps to trying to restore what it is you and your spouse once had. The fact that you have even reached this decision is an indicator of just how much you have put or are willing to invest in the survival of the relationship. Sometimes, all you really need is someone from the outside looking in to help you resolve your conflicts and get over those difficult bumps along the way.

There are cases where a counselor will request to meet either party separately before bringing them as a couple into the session. This is for the counselor to get a better sense of who each partner is as an individual, before putting them together and seeing how they interact. This also helps the parties involved to become more familiar and speak comfortably with their counselor, without the fear of offending, angering or intimidating the other partner if they were to be present.

Speaking to the counselor one-on-one before coming together is also a good way for this mediator to figure out how to proceed with the couple in therapy. It is a good way to dissolve any tension separately before meeting both parties at once, and also introduces the mediator to all the various issues and story lines at play from the start. There may be cases where the counselor has to help an individual through their own deep-rooted issues, perhaps from their childhood, that may be indirectly affecting their relationship.

You would start by talking about yourself and then about your situation with your spouse. You will probably confide in your therapist as to why you are seeking their help in the first place. Overall, your therapist should give you hope that there is a way to resolve the situation, whether you and your spouse decide to stay together or not.

One of the key elements to successfully being counseled is learning to develop certain skills and put them into practice as challenges arise. One such skill is that of communication, which is incredibly important between couples. Another skill would be learning to listen or compromise.

It is very important that couples find the counselor best suited to them. First impressions count when speaking with a counselor at the start. Both parties should feel comfortable enough with the individual to want to continue speaking.

In Ormond Beach, FL, you will find quite a wide variety options. Many of them are located on Granada Boulevard offering various types of counseling. Some of them come highly recommended. The Ormond Beach Counseling Center is a particularly good choice for couples who would like to attend faith-based therapy.




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