Relationship Counseling
A romantic relationship is one of the closest and intimate relationship that we have as humans. Choosing a partner and staying together through all the odds of life and through all the life's twists and turns is rarely simple. When we choose to get married and raise a family together, there comes many surprising things that adds to the complexity.
When this intimacy and relationship begins to falter, our health and happiness often suffers. While for many of us our first instinct is to try and work through problems alone.
When it does not work out, one route you may choose to go down is couples counselling - a form of talk therapy designed for those in a relationship.
What is Relationship counseling?
Relationship counseling also termed as marriage counseling or couple counseling aims at improving communication and resolve issues in intimate relationships. One has to remember that in such couples counseling you will not be told what to do. A relationship counselor does not offer their personal opinion to your problems. The role of the relationship counselor is to facilitate change by helping both the partner to communicate more effectively and reach your own conclusions.
If you are nervous about discussing private matters with a stranger, keep in mind that your counsellor is not there to criticise you; your counselling sessions should be a space free of judgement where you can explore your actions openly.
Common relationship problems
There are many different concerns that may bring one to couples counselling, ranging from a lack of communication right through to a betrayal or affair. Some common issues that can be explored through couples counselling include:
- lack of trust
- betrayal or affair
- jealousy
- lack of communication
- financial issues
- work-related stress
- different sexual needs or other sexual issues
- family conflicts
- different goals and values
- different parenting styles
This list is not exhaustive and every situation is unique. Whatever the concern is however, getting professional help is always a helpful step forward.
When is the right time to get help?
Every couple is different and hence it depends on the nature of the issue they are facing. If you are concerned about your relationship (for whatever reason) and feel you are unable to reach a conclusion on your own, you will benefit from couples counselling.
Instead of seeing couples counseling as the ‘last resort’ to save a marriage, you can choose couples counseling before things get worse. Many couples use the therapy sessions as a way to keep their relationships healthy and to address any underlying issues that might cause conflict in the future.