Article by Aloysius Aucoin
If your marriage is in trouble, you should consider getting marriage therapy or couples therapy. A marriage therapist can help you cope with problems in your life and help you and your partner change negative behaviors. A marriage therapist can also help you decide whether your marriage is worth saving or if you’re better off without your partner. Stressors such as money problems, infidelity, substance abuse, abuse issues, and sex issues may be able to be worked through by two people with the help of a qualified therapist. It is worth noting that marriage therapy focuses on building a strong, healthy relationship and keeping it that way. In some cases, people who have suffered a trauma such as an infidelity or unemployment consult with therapists to repair broken relationships. Others use therapy as a way to improve communication and strengthen their marriages. Two people who are engaged can also start off on the right foot by getting couples therapy before they get married.
Find A Qualified Marriage Therapist
If you want to improve your marriage, you should find a marriage therapist who meets your needs. It is essential that you check the therapist’s credentials before you start getting counseling and find out how much experience that person has. Not only should the therapist you hire be licensed, be he or she should also make both partners feel comfortable. Remember that a qualified marriage therapist can increase communication and understanding between you and your partner.
How Many Therapy Sessions You Need Each Week
You should start by having at least one marriage therapy session per week. However, if you have a severe family crises, you may need to meet with your therapist more often. How often you visit your therapist should also be based on your preferences. Keep in mind that you may still be able to greatly improve your marriage if you meet with a therapist once or twice a month.
What You Can Expect From Marriage Therapy
Some common recommendations from a marriage counselor or therapist may include oral or written exercises to do, books to read, and trust-building games. The focus of each meeting may change each week. All the problems you are dealing with can be discussed when you meet with a counselor like boredom with your partner, abuse, mental health issues, lack of desire, infidelity, or problems with your children.
What Marriage Therapy Will Cost You
The cost of marriage therapy will depend on your location and on the therapist you choose. Therapists who have a lot of experience usually charge more, but some offer affordable sliding scale fees to clients who have financial problems.
If you love your partner and enjoy being with him most of the time, it’s worth it to get marriage therapy. If your marriage is in trouble because of a betrayal, like cheating, a counselor can help you let go of the anger and resentment and get past that. If an outside factor is putting stress on your relationship such as a partner losing his job or if someone is ill in your family, this difficult time is likely temporary. Please remember that some people are more compatible than others, so it’s easier for them to keep their relationship strong and healthy. Those who are not as closely matched will have to work harder to resolve problems and differences in lifestyle and opinion. This does not mean that your connection is less wonderful, but it will take more effort for you to improve your marriage and strengthen your relationship, so both partners need to be up for this challenge.