Helping News June, 2014 Issue 72
The Benefits of Marriage Counseling
Huffington Post June, 2014
Creating positive marriage resolutions. It's easy to get emotional when discussing heavy-duty topics like money, sex, and kids. An experienced counselor can help guide the conversation and prevent you and your partner from going off on a tangent, thereby losing focus and not accomplishing anything.
Learning (or improving) conflict resolution skills. If you've had some major tiffs or blowouts in the past (and who hasn't?) then you both know how you tend to react during arguments, whether it's wielding the silent treatment and pouting or yelling and name-calling. If you're being honest with yourself, then there's probably room for improvement. A counselor will teach you how to listen and communicate more effectively; more specifically, they'll also tell you what to say (and not say) in order to reach a happy solution.
Getting realistic expectations about timing. For example, if you come to an agreement that the kids topic is off the table for two years, then you won't be left anxious or frustrated when you want to delve into that plan and your partner isn't ready. This also applies to major purchases like buying a house.
Avoiding toxic resentments. Clear the air about
resentments you've been hanging onto throughout
your relationship. A counselor will help you resolve
these issues and free yourselves from them so that
they don't cause massive damage later on in your
marriage.
Dismantling fears about marriage. One or both of
you might come from a divorced family, or from a
dysfunctional background where fighting and
manipulation was the norm. Premarital counseling
can teach you how to make peace with your past
and break the cycle.
Identifying the "seeds" of future marital stress. With an experienced outsider's perspective, you can learn which behaviors and habits you need to adjust or quit cold turkey.
More information coming...
