Marriage and couples counseling helps two people in a relationship recognize and resolve any issues they may be experiencing. The end goal is to solve any major problems and improve the relationship. Couples counseling can help save people from breaking up or getting a divorce. It can also help a couple decide if they should stay together or not. It is, however, important that you seek professional help sooner rather than later.
Every now and then, couples get into arguments and have problems. That is normal in any relationship since you are two different people with two different thoughts and opinions. If your disagreements and problems are getting more and more frequent, then seeking help from a marriage or couples counselor should be able to help.
Another goal of couples counseling is to get couples to learn how to manage conflicts and stress. During these sessions, couples learn how to communicate better, strengthen their relationships, and ultimately learn more about one another. Learning more about the other could either solidify the relationship or make the couple realize that their differences are too opposite to stay together.
Couples generally seek counseling when they both know that their relationship is on the rocks and have no idea how to fix things themselves. If you and your partner have tried all you can to change things for the better with no progress, it’s time to see a counselor. The sooner you seek the help you need, the more effective the outcome will be for your relationship.
How Marriage/Couples Counseling Relates to Addiction Treatment and Mental Health
One of the more common reasons people seek couples counseling is because one person’s addiction is interfering with the relationship. If problems begin to arise, it’s best to get a professional opinion to help work out the relationship issues. A professional can also help with whoever is struggling with the addiction. Mental health issues can also have an impact on a relationship if someone is not getting the help that they need.
If mental health issues or addiction is the reason why you have decided to seek couples counseling, your counselor will be able to work with you to get the help you need. Sometimes counselors even work with other healthcare professionals for a complete spectrum of treatment. Their goal is to provide you with the resources you need to improve yourself and help your relationship.
Your counselor wants the best for you and your partner, and he or she can help you heal from the aftermath of your addiction and strengthen your relationship. Marriage and couples counseling can treat addiction and mental health because an expert is working with you to help you become better people. Your counselor can help you discover why certain behaviors keep recurring, as well as what you can do to help each other and easily solve problems.
After receiving counseling, couples can feel more satisfied with their relationship. This can also lead to improvements in behavior and other relationships with family and friends. You can learn more about yourself, what you want in your relationship, and your partner’s needs and wants. You can learn how to fight fair and get your relationship on the right track.
Signs You Need Marriage/Couples Counseling
If you and your partner often criticize each other, withdraw from one another, or find it challenging to communicate with each other, you are at a high risk of splitting up. If you both genuinely want to repair your relationship, couples counseling can help. Some of the signs that you need counseling can include:
Constant Arguing
Fights are normal in relationships, but they become a bigger issue if the arguing is constant and happens over even the smallest things. There are also times where little fights can turn into big ones. Before you know it, you might not be just fighting over the remote anymore. That could mean more significant issues need to be addressed and solved with the help of a counselor.
Shift in Sex Life
Sometimes when someone is upset with a partner, he or she will withhold affection. It can almost feel like you’re giving your partner the “silent treatment.” If the two of you aren’t being as intimate as you used to be, you might need to have a discussion. Also, having more sex than you usually do during this time can be harmful because instead of trying to solve your issues, you’re just using sex to fix things. In the long run, sex alone will not solve all your relationship problems. You and your partner need to communicate.
Keeping Secrets
Keeping secrets in a relationship is a huge red flag that you should seek counseling. Unless you’re planning a big surprise for your significant other, you should not feel the need to keep secrets from them. That could mean a few things.
It could mean that you don’t trust your partner with whatever it is that you’re keeping from them, and you cannot have a healthy relationship if it lacks trust. It could also mean that you are insecure and afraid of what your partner may think If you can’t be your true self around your partner, something has to change in the relationship where you can feel more comfortable.
How to Prepare for Marriage/Couples Counseling
Like any new experience, it is important to know how to prepare for marriage counseling. If you go into your session knowing what to expect, you might get a little bit more out of it. If you’re not sure of what to expect from your first couples counseling session, here is what you can do to prepare.
Make Sure You Both Are Equally Invested
Your marriage counseling session will not be effective if one person is more invested than the other. You both have to want to fix your relationship. If one of you is uninterested, that could be a telltale sign that counseling won’t work or that the relationship is over.
Find the Right Counselor for You
You will want to find someone who you can feel comfortable around. Do your research to see which counselor would be the best fit for you and your partner. If you do not feel comfortable enough to open up, your sessions will not get very far.
Expect to be Vulnerable
You came to couples counseling to get to the root of your relationship problems, so your counselor is going to have to dig deep to get some answers. This means you and your partner will have to be vulnerable and honest with one another. If you don’t hold anything back, you will get the most out of your session.
How Marriage/Couples Counseling Can Help You and Your Relationship
Research has shown that couples counseling can be effective for couples of all ages and ethnicities if they don’t wait too late to seek the help they need. According to a study from 2017, relationships have improved and lasted 18 to 24 months after couples counseling. Every couple is different, and some couples will get more out of counseling than others.
After attending a few sessions, couples should be able to figure out any negative patterns and learn what to do to change for the sake of the relationship. Couples can learn how to solve issues better, and their intimacy can improve tremendously after a successful couples counseling session.
You should be able to have a better understanding of your relationship, make well thought-out decisions, and solve problems better. Couples counseling can make your relationship stronger than it was before, or it could show you that the relationship needs to end.
There is no reason to worry if you and your partner need to break up. It can be better to learn that you and your partner aren’t compatible in a controlled environment rather than in a heated argument. Your therapist can help you figure out what you need and how you can end the relationship in a healthy way.
Footprints to Recovery Marriage/Couples Counseling
If you and your partner are ready to save your relationship, marriage/couples counseling at Footprints to Recovery can help. Your addiction or mental health issues do not have to get in the way of having a healthy relationship anymore.
Our staff cares about your wellbeing, and we only want the best for you. We have treatment centers located in Illinois, New Jersey, and Colorado, with several programs that will meet your needs. Our staff makes use of new methods, research, and activities to ensure that you need the most out of your sessions.
Footprints to Recovery is a trusted and approved addiction treatment center. We have an exceptional staff of hope instillers, confidence builders, and recovery connoisseurs. Our vision is to have our treatment plans better the world. With all that in mind, you know you will be in good hands with us!
We would love to do what we can to help your relationship or marriage. Are you and your partner ready to achieve the recovery that you need? We want to hear from you! Contact us today to learn more about our marriage/couples counseling program.
Questions about treatment options?
Our admissions team is available 24/7 to listen to your story and help you get started with the next steps.