Having a disagreement with your significant other is common, but if you are always walking on glass around the other person – it could be time to think about couples counseling. There isn’t any shame in wanting to seek out counseling to improve your relationship, in fact you should feel proud because you care enough about the other person to fix what is happening. Talk to your partner about your feelings and why you want to start therapy. You might have heard the statistic that over half of marriages end in divorce – the odds are against us, but there is help to assist you in a successful, meaningful marriage.
Whether you are new to counseling or have participated in it before, you might already be familiar with what speaking with a therapist consists of. Couples counseling is the same idea as individual counseling, but the therapist will speak with you and your significant other regarding issues in the relationship. Issues such as problems in the relationship will come up and the therapist might give you homework to work on that will be discussed during the next session.
You might be wondering why seek a counselor for therapy when your issues can be discussed at home and in private. Maybe you don’t want to involve a ‘stranger’ in your personal life. The fact of the matter is, not very many couples know how to communicate effectively. It’s possible they have banter with each other back and forth, or argue of course; but when a serious issue arises they do not understand how to speak about it effectively.
In a disagreement with anyone, including your partner, the options are yell, ignore, or talk through it. The first two – yell and ignore – will get both parties nowhere. The only real solution is talking through the issue, and if neither person knows how to talk through it, this also will not resolve anything! That is where a professional enters the picture who can guide both parties in the right direction, teach ways to not get upset, and have a productive outcome of these situations.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our series on Couples Counseling and tips that will help you reach your relationship goals!