Did you know that nearly 50% of married couples have gone through marriage counseling? With that in mind, navigating marriage on your own can be a difficult task without the right support and guidance. Couples counseling is not for everyone, however, in order to keep your marriage healthy, it may be a beneficial tool. 

The subject of money can be a big source of stress for some couples. Managing an infidelity or a massive life change might be the issue for others. Unresolved or uncommunicated issues can cause cracks in your marriage’s foundation. Your partner and you can achieve a healthy, productive communication space by seeking the help of an unbiased third party. 

Here are some of the top 6 scenarios that can be addressed with marriage counseling:

1. Separation
2. Money Challenges
3. Someone had an Affair
4. Toxic, Heated Arguments
5. Transitional Points
6. Intimacy Struggles

Separation

It is not uncommon for a marriage to feel more like living with an extended roommate after many years of marriage and sometimes even the birth of children. Marriage counseling could be your next step if you begin to feel distant from your significant other, or maybe you’ve forgotten what attracted you to him/her in the first place. 

It is possible to overcome these blocks in your relationship with the assistance of marriage counseling. Therapy for couples is meant to offer partners a safe, open space to explore everything their marriage offers – its strengths and weaknesses alike. 

Money Challenges

Couples counseling can help you process all the turbulent emotions involved in managing money, whether you and your partner are in your 60s dealing with health-related bills, or you and your partner are in your 30s trying to manage a marriage with children. 

The role of money in shaping a patient’s thoughts can be better understood through therapy. Finances are often viewed and handled differently by each of us depending on our past experiences. Depending on how you experience money, you may struggle to deal with money related issues in your marriage. The first step to resolving these issues is to seek counseling before making any major decisions or continuing any arguments. 

Looking to understand the inner workings of your spouse? Connect with Dr. Phil Chanin today!

Someone had an Affair

The meaning of infidelity varies from person to person. Before there is a chance for infidelity to happen, you may want to speak to your partner about it. It may be necessary however for you or your spouse to undergo marriage counseling to repair the damage or create a resolution plan if you already have an affair.

One in five marriages will face infidelity, but this breach of trust does not have to end the relationship for good. When you and your partner attend marriage counseling, you and your partner can lay everything on the table so that trust can be reestablished.  

Toxic, Heated Arguments 

The experience of small, unproductive arguments is a part of every relationship. There are two kinds of humans who experience two kinds of upbringing, which results in two kinds of behavior and standpoints. Even though disagreements in and of themselves are not always bad, they can become toxic when they become unhealthy screaming matches, or inflammatory situations.  

Different people handle conflict in different ways, and marriage counseling can help your relationship if you’re not a confrontational person. Therapy for couples can help you calm disagreements in a healthy and respectful manner.

Transitional Points

It is always possible that big life changes might cause pain points in the future, even if you and your partner are not currently experiencing any problems. Whether it’s caring for a parent who is sick, a career change, or relocating with a family. Taking time to nurture your marriage during a time like this can have so many benefits. 

Couples therapy provides a safe, healthy environment in which to resolve problems as they arise. You may be able to get the reassurance you need in your relationship from a third party professional, who will be able to give you both some emotional insight.  

Intimacy Struggles

The topic of intimacy is often a source of friction in relationships. If you and your partner are seeking marriage counseling, your therapist may help guide the conversation so that you feel connected and on the same page. 

Your sex life might look different from what it did in the past, depending on where you are in your marriage. In the journey of intimacy, we must recognize that little gestures, like a kiss on the cheek or listening to stories of our partners, are just as important in maintaining a relationship. 

It can be difficult to have intimate sex with your partner when you have medical issues, physical changes, or even kids. Marriage counseling helps ensure you and your partner are both on the same page and prepared to tackle intimacy in whatever manner is best. 

Dr. Phil Chanin’s work in couples therapy and marriage counseling utilizes the theory and practices of Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), developed by Harville Hendrix. Imago theory helps to explain how the choices we make, in whom we fall in love with, almost guarantee that we will eventually find ourselves in difficult and painful power struggles with our partners. 

If you and your partner are looking for marriage counseling services to re-energize your relationship, contact Dr. Phil Chanin today!