Does Your Relationship Lack The Spark It Once Had, And You Don’t Know Where To Turn?

Do you feel misunderstood and have trouble communicating with your partner? Are you trying to navigate the murky waters of your relationship while attempting to keep up with your life at work and home? Are you starting to think that your marriage or partnership isn’t all that you thought it would be?

Maybe you’re currently separated from your partner and have kids, and you’re wondering how you can co-parent without the “drama.” Perhaps the trust you once had is broken because of your partner’s infidelity. Or maybe you just don’t feel a spark for one another anymore and lack the intimacy and sexual desire you once had for one another.

Relationships can be a challenge. We live in an instant gratification society where we date at the swipe of a smartphone and are less likely to work one job for decades. Today’s society can make cultivating a healthy, long-term relationship that much more difficult as it often promotes short-term gains and having what you want “NOW.”

Yet you, your partner, and your relationship are multi-dimensional even if maintaining a solid relationship in these days and times can be hard. One way to face this challenge is to acknowledge the difficulty and seek guidance from someone who is trained to help build a long-term foundation in the midst of a world that doesn’t automatically offer the tools to do so.

Marriage counseling can help you to unpack difficulties and set your relationship on solid footing. With the guidance of a couples counselor, you and your partner can learn to develop tools to make your home a sanctuary so that you can feel an authentic connection to each other and feel at peace.

Every Couple Has Challenges

All of us experience relationship issues as couples—whether with communication, finances, or work/home-related stressors. As a result, we can lose sight of our connection to our partner.

Maintaining a healthy relationship can be hard because, in addition to our on-demand culture, we also live in a society that can focus on lack and scarcity rather than gratitude and abundance—we’re more likely to see the shortcomings of others, rather than what they bring to the table. We’re also inundated with choices which can cause us to lose focus on the importance of foundation-building for a relationship. Our focus may also be divided between work, friends, school, children, social clubs, and more. And what if we didn’t have a good example of a functional, long-term relationship as children?

Addressing challenges alone can feel impossible, especially without the right tools and in a society that doesn’t help provide these tools. Alone, we can only do so much—read a book and try to implement the advice, ask a friend or relative for help, think positive thoughts.

However, one solution that can bring lasting change is marriage counseling. Finding the courage to seek professional help can be the bridge between you, your partner, and the tools you both need to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Counseling can help you use this knowledge to create constructive ways to address issues with conflict, communication, intimacy, and more.

Marriage Counseling Can Help Reignite The Flame Of Long-Term Commitment And Happiness

Many couples think that relationship issues boil down to fixing the other person when the reality is that a number of these issues can be addressed with better communication skills. As a therapist, I’ve seen how therapy can help couples to move closer together—emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and intimately.

Marriage counseling offers a neutral and encouraging environment for you and your partner to explore your experiences, the thoughts and emotions that stem from them, and how to use this information to communicate more constructively with one another.

In the intake session, our client care coordinator will speak with you to learn more about your relationship goals and connect you with the appropriate couples counselor. From there, we’ll ask you to fill out intake forms which your therapist will review with you during the first session. During this session, your therapist will also discuss with you HIPAA laws regarding confidentiality and any past counseling experience. In ongoing sessions, we’ll look at a number of areas such as relationship history, family developmental challenges, history of mental health challenges or trauma, social support, finances, work stress, legal challenges, communication issues, and more.

We work with various modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and expressive therapy. CBT helps to work through challenging behaviors in your relationship by reframing your thoughts. Similarly, REBT uses emotions to positively influence thinking patterns which can, in turn, lead to healthier ways of dealing with conflict. Expressive therapy such as journaling or creating vision boards uses creative expression to explore your emotions. Other modalities we utilize include mindfulness, psychoeducation, person-centered strategies, and bibliotherapy.

Ultimately, marriage counseling can give you and your partner a greater self-awareness about what each of you contributes to the relationship and help you successfully cultivate long-term happiness. Counseling can also provide you with new strategies to collaborate as a couple, find joy, and root for one another.

But you may still have questions about marriage counseling…

My partner doesn’t want to attend marriage counseling. Can only one of us attend?

When we are doing couples work, our policy is that we need both partners in the counseling room at the same time, every time. In couples counseling, the relationship is the client. If you are not both in the room, then the client is not at the session. But if your partner does not want to come, you can still benefit from individual counseling and work through some of your issues one-on-one with one of our other providers.

Note: Violence and/or emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse and joint sessions are not possible. If you’re in an unsafe relationship, we will gladly refer you to someone who can provide individual counseling instead. This not only increases trust in the therapist but expedites the healing and rebuilding of the relationship.

Couples counseling doesn’t fit into my already busy schedule.

It can be tough finding a time when you and your partner’s schedules coordinate. Attending therapy sessions can be difficult because it takes effort to make the commitment. But it’s still possible. If your schedule prevents you from finding the time, we offer teletherapy, which also allows you and your partner to meet together from different locations.

You’ll only focus on the problems.

We like to reframe the word as “challenges.” And not only that, but we’re solution-oriented too. We look at what is working, how we can use this to start to address challenges, and how to build a more fortified foundation for your relationship.

Are You Ready To Relight Your Relationship’s Fire?

If you’re ready to take the next step and gain the tools that can help you and your partner live a life of understanding, mutual respect, and intimacy, then I invite you to give us a call at 508-297-1491, or contact us through our online inquiry page.