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If you are reading this, you might be wondering if you need couples counseling. I’m not here to say you do or don’t. Only you can decide that. But having experienced couples counseling myself, I would say that EVERYONE can benefit from it, even if they don’t necessarily need it. Let’s set aside the question of need for a moment and ask these questions instead:
- Can couples counseling help me better enjoy my life and my relationship?
- Can it help me understand my partner, and why he or she thinks, feels, and acts the way they do?
- Can it enrich us on our journey and strenghten our bonds?
- And can it do all this while helping us feel more independent and more secure in who we are as individuals?
The answer to all the above is yes yes and more yes.
Other practical reasons to consider couples counseling…
- Rebuilding trust. It’s often said that after an affair, your previous relationship is over. You must now choose to build a new one together. Most couples need help with this.
- Overcoming trauma, grief, or loss of a loved one.
- Pre-marital counseling. After the marriage, many couples enjoy a honeymoon. And all couples experience a honeymoon period. A time where everything is magical and fun, and passion is overflowing. But over time, life has a way of chipping away at the magic and the fun. There comes a point when we have to be intentional about growing the relationship as opposed to allowing it to whither.
- Life transitions. Getting married, getting engaged, relocating, retiring. Starting a family, kids starting school, kids entering teen years, leaving the nest, getting married, etc. Grandkids! Family members passing. Any of these can upset the balance of the family system. Sometimes they require significant adjustments.
- Communication problems. Probably the most common reason couples seek counseling.
- Concerns with sex life.
- A general feeling that you’ve grown apart
- Preventing a divorce. There are four key indicators that one might be coming. And there are things that can be done about it.
- Facilitating divorce. When one or both partners might not want to continue the relationship, an amicable separation is in everyone’s best interest. Especially when kids are involved.
Feel free to reach out to me via phone or email to talk about other ways couples counseling might be helpful for you. ~ Michael Mcvey, Owner, Paulson Counseling