The Marriage Counseling Blog

The New Year is a very popular time for people to make real changes in their lives. The ending of one calendar year and the beginning of another offer a perfect psychological stop point and beginning point to change behaviors and complete a mental “fresh start.” One of the many changes that people commit [...]

Relationships can define each of us in many ways but abusive relationships tend to both define and scar our psyches for a very long time. Some people do not realize that they are in an abusive relationship because it slowly reveals itself over the years in stags, acclimatizing the victims to the abuse. Knowing [...]

Carla and Bill had been married for 11 years and had 2 young children together. The past few years had found them on the downside of the economic turn and frustration, anger and anxiety had taken its toll on their marriage. After almost a year of constant fighting, the couple decided that it [...]

For many couples, the initial years of marriage are a time of romantic happiness and a focus on yourselves as a couple without the added disruptions of family and high pressure careers. This isn’t always the case, however. The first year of a marriage can also be a challenging and exciting time for couples, especially [...]

There are many media outlets that glorify the act of taking revenge on a cheating spouse or partner. From songs about breaking car windows to slashing tires and taking a baseball bat to the headlights, vehicles seem to take the brunt of the anger in both songs and video. For all the popularity [...]

Darby had known about Sebie’s infidelity many years ago, when they were first married. For the past decade of their marriage, she had been living and acting as a loving wife, however the bitterness that she felt due to Sebie’s prior transgressions had been slowly growing. Darby had found in herself an inability [...]

What can you expect in Marriage Counseling? This is one of the most common questions that we receive from people who have been hesitant to contact a marriage counselor simply because they were afraid of the uncertainty of the process.
Marriage counseling is not a common discussion point for many people, and most [...]

Families are complex micro cultures that take on incredible proportions of emotion and effort in our lives. When a marriage combines existing families and attempts to blend these families seamlessly without real understanding and knowledge of each individual, the adjustment can be very difficult.
The issues that existed in the original family form [...]

As a parent and or step parent, it is your responsibility to help ensure that your children and step children successfully navigate the obstacles that face a blended family and come out knowing that they are loved and safe in whichever family they are with. You can never overestimate the importance of family and the [...]

Therapy is one of the most important gifts that you can give to yourself and loved ones because it provides a healthy and balanced inner self, making your life and relationships healthier, more satisfying and ultimately happier.
There are some common signs for couples and individuals who are in need of therapy. Among [...]

It is very frustrating when you ask someone “What’s wrong?” and they respond that they don’t know. It is even more frustrating when they are being honest with you and really don’t know what is wrong, only that there is a problem. Getting to the bottom of some unspecific martial problems is just [...]

There are relatively predictable stages to long term relationships and marriage counselors work with couples and partners in every stage. Marital stages are also referred to as relationship stages because a simple marriage license seldom makes any difference in the complex emotional and psychological stages that accompany a couple long term. In other words, [...]

Stacy was diagnosed with manic depression when she was a teenager. She had battled this disorder, which is also often called bipolar disorder, for many years before she met and married her husband, Jack. Jack was aware of Stacy’s medical condition and had been supportive in helping her manage the disorder, through both [...]

For many individuals, learning about anger management and admitting there is a problem is not exactly voluntary, nor is it a matter of having a personal epiphany. For some, anger management is something that they learn about because they have either been a victim of another’s anger or because they have become a victim [...]

Many people are surprised to find that the majority of their mental health counseling session is covered by their insurance with only a minimal co-pay. For many who are not covered by private health care plans or corporate plans through their work, Medicare is usually chosen. However, coverage for mental health through Medicare continues [...]

Some people are so invested in the appearance of a healthy and happy marriage that they find it difficult to open up and admit to their problems and unhappiness, even to their closest friends.
Friendships and outside relationships are important to a couples marriage because the behaviors and attitudes of friends can heavily influence an individual. [...]

Sherilee and Matt had their share of communication problems. Over the years their lack of communication and lack of listening had brought about a number of mishaps and hurt feelings that had grown into resentment and anger. An inability to hear each other or communicate effectively had brought their marriage to a standstill.
When [...]

There is no easy way to predict who will finally seek out anxiety therapy and who will attempt to leg it out on their own without help and in constant pain. There are different levels of anxiety suffering and different ways of coping with it, some more effective than others. There are some [...]

Many people hold off on seeking out marriage counseling because one individual in the partnership is afraid that the other would never agree to attend. Because they hold this preconceived belief, they often do not discuss the option of marriage counseling at all and dwell, caught in a stagnant relationship without giving themselves and their [...]

Intensive multiple hour or even day long marriage counseling sessions have become a haven for couples who are in need of immediate help. Intensive therapy choice for thousands of couples whose relationships are in trouble. These brief counseling sessions are especially popular among individuals who have no mental health insurance and are on a [...]

Sex in itself can be emotionally complex. Sex in the context of marriage is one of the most common reasons for couples to seek out marriage counseling. Not enough sex, too much sex, sex with someone else, sex with no one else, the issues are both personal and varied.
Sex in Marriage
One of the most [...]

Scott and Janet needed to see a highly qualified marriage counselor because their marriage unraveled too far for them to move on by themselves. Their marriage began to unravel during a particularly stressful time in their lives. They had experienced a devastating financial loss that cost them a majority of their savings and retirement [...]

Few people understand the psychological turmoil that can result from a home invasion or robbery. Many people seek out individual therapy in order to help them deal with the ongoing emotional stress and issues of having their home physically violated. One of the best ways to avoid this in the first place is to [...]

I’ve known Dr. Marty Tashman for some time now, and I’m not sure if New Jersey has a more qualified expert for saving troubled relationships. He has been in practice for over 34 years. He is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, as well as a licensed Social Worker. He has a doctorate in Clinical [...]

The expectations of many individuals and couples entering into couples counseling are different than the results of the actual counseling sessions. Many people entering into counseling discuss what their expectations are and later, upon leaving counseling, talk about “how they expected something different.” The particular picture of what counseling involves is often different than [...]

Not every marriage counselor is the same and not every marriage counseling session is going to be the same either. In fact, there are so many different types of personalities and people that there have to be a variety of counselors to be a good match. If the personalities of the counselor and [...]

Many people in difficult and troubled relationships want help and actively seek the guidance and assistance of a marriage counselor. What stops before they make the first appointment is a reluctant partner. Having one partner refuse to seek counseling is much more common than you may be thinking, and overcoming that difficulty [...]

There are hundreds of simple steps that we take every day that make a our daily lives. Simple, almost intuitive steps such as making the bed, making coffee, grabbing our car keys and turning our cell phones on for the day are all minute but important parts of our daily lives. We do [...]

Many family therapists are called on to help children who have or will shortly be moving away long distance. Long distance moving can be difficult on a family, especially one with school age children. Moving to a new home is always a stressful event, but for a child it can be even more so, [...]

Family therapists recognize the benefits of family traditions. The bonds that are formed and verified through taking part in family traditions as well as the group dynamics that play a part in finding your role in family traditions are all important.
Jerry said:
It takes time, love and work to find the right healthy [...]