Marriage Counseling. Just the term can sound daunting. And there is a good reason for that! Most couples don’t end up in marriage counseling until it is a last resort when both parties are at their wit’s end and don’t know what to do about their crumbling relationship.

When you are married, or even just dating, small disagreements are bound to rise up. The honeymoon phase in a relationship can pass in the blink of an eye. Before long – life gets hectic, and trying to balance work and family life can be difficult for both you and your partner. However, when the fighting starts to take over your everyday life, something must be done.

“In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find and continue to find grounds for marriage.” – Robert Anderson

According to the US Census Bureau:

In the United States, there is 1 divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That's nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876,000 divorces a year, that means by the time that you are done reading this sentence, another divorce has been finalized.

While divorce might be the best option for some couples, other relationships might be salvageable, if both parties work on fixing the problems and making a better marriage.

If you are wondering if you and your spouse should seek marriage counseling, take a look at the warning signs we have listed below:

Communication

Negative or lack of communication can deteriorate a relationship quickly. Quite often, before you even know it that there is a communication issue there are cracks in your marriage foundation. Marriage counseling can help to fix those cracks and rebuild the communication. It also teaches the couple how to appropriately communicate with each another.

Passing Ships

When you and your spouse seem more like roommates, living together for convenience rather than to enjoy doing things and being together, there is a problem. While a couple doesn’t have to do every little thing as a pair, the want and desire to spend time with each other is important. Counseling can help a couple grow back together and make them seem less like ships passing in the night.

Infidelity

Believe it or not, some couples can come back from infidelity. Marriage counseling can help the couple build back trust and help you work on learning to forgive your spouse. Infidelity makes emotions run high; it would be a rare marriage that could make it over this hump without some kind of guidance.

Separation

When you or your spouse fight so much that separation becomes relief for you, it is definitely time to seek couples therapy. While every couple fights or disagrees, if these arguments turn into time spent away from each other semi-permanently, you need the help of a couple’s therapist.

About Choices Psychotherapy

Choice is the foundation for a change. Choice speaks to the reality that there is not one right answer for all.  At Choices Psychotherapy, we are committed to empowering clients and their families to identify options while assisting in creating a personal roadmap toward health and recovery.

Related: RELATIONSHIP ISSUES