A House bill seeks to put school counselors in front of troubled students at troubled schools. This isn’t a bad idea. When 50% of all marriages end in divorce and 30% of high school students never graduate with a degree, you figure there must be some correlation. It’s obviously not a direct one-to-one correlation, but [...]
Scenario 1: The Arnolds have been married for five years. They are in their early thirties. They don’t seem to have any marital problem at the surface, but since the time both husband and wife have got more responsibilities at work, their personal communication seems to be suffering. Scenario 2: The Vincents have been married [...]
So, if you cannot make time for or cannot afford regular marriage counseling, you can go for a single-session counseling? Does that even make sense? Is the counselor God to solve your marriage problems in a couple of hours? No. He/she is not God. And he/she won’t solve your problems for you. However, the counselor [...]
A term that’s revolutionizing the world of marriage counseling these days is marriage fitness. An alternative to conventional counseling, marriage fitness approaches marital conflicts from a different perspective. So, what is marriage fitness? And, is your marriage “fit”? Let’s find out. Marriage fitness is a term coined by Mort Fertel. Fertel is the author and [...]
Would you believe me if I told you that marriage counseling is potentially for every couple? Of course, you wouldn’t believe me. But let me back it up with a reason. You cannot deny that every relationship has some scope of improvement. And it is this improvement that couples counseling helps you with. So, irrespective [...]
The world says, “Nothing comes free!” And if somebody offers you free advice, it is either considered unsolicited or non-useful advice. Marriage advice comes free only from friends and family, and it is something we do not give much importance to. Never do you see a relationship expert giving advice for free. Oh wait, there [...]
There is a general perception that the ones whose relationship is on the rocks go for counseling. This feeling has made its corollary a popular perception: counseling is for those whose relationships are on the verge of a breakdown. Does the thought of counseling, thus, make you feel like a failure? I know many couples [...]
There is so much hullabaloo over premarital counseling these days. Is is that important? Isn’t counseling for resolving conflicts? Why should a couple seek counseling before marriage, when there is no apparent problem? After all, the time before the wedding is so much like a fairy tale. Now, if you ask someone who is about [...]
What is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear about infidelity counseling? Most probably, you may think about the age-old question: can a marriage survive infidelity? The answer to this question is ‘yes’, but it doesn’t mean all marriages will survive it. Infidelity is painful for the spouse who has been [...]
You have been told counseling helps when you cannot improve your relationship on your own. But how does counseling help? What can you learn through counseling? Can a third person really solve your relationship conflicts? The answer to these questions is that counseling can work for you if you are willing to make it work. [...]
How much time do you spend on the Internet on a daily basis? If you are a tech-savvy, new-age man/woman, you may find the virtual world just an extension of your real. Most of us are hard pressed for time these days, so much so that we don’t want to invest some time improving our [...]
Many of us are skeptical about relationship counseling; we wonder if meeting a total stranger will help matters. In an earlier post, ‘How Can a Third Person – the Counselor – Help Improve Your Relationship?‘ we discussed how exactly a couple counselor helps. Now, when should you actually visit the marriage counselor? This is something [...]
In the previous post, we discussed that your willingness to improve your relationship will make counseling work in your favor. Dr. Noah H. Kersey, renowned psychologist, says in his article titled ‘Key Steps to Success in Counseling‘ that apart from willingness, one needs motivation, commitment, and faith to make counseling work. Here’s what Dr. Kersey [...]
When you fell in love, life promised to be a terrific journey. But after you crossed the threshold of your wedding, your relationship gradually reached a place where you no longer look forward to the journey ahead. Something happened. Sometimes, you know exactly what happened, and at other times, you are absolutely clueless. At this [...]
When everything seems to be going wrong and the marriage seems to be over, can you take out a day to try saving it? What’s the point, you ask. Well, now that you are on the verge of separation, why not give it one last try, just for old time’s sake? Even if you do [...]
Believe it or not, your counselor is like your doctor. While the doctor diagnosis and treats illnesses, your counselor helps understand the underlying cause(s) of the discord in your relationship and suggests ways to rise over conflicts for a better relationship. How can a third person understand what you are going through? A lot like [...]
Source: http://news.byu.edu/archive10-jul-marriageprep.aspx Before they take the plunge, many engaged couples may wonder if a marriage preparation class is worthwhile. Some Brigham Young University professors asked the same question, and what they found might surprise you: yes and no. The yes: Marriage prep classes significantly increased couples’ communication quality. “We found that classes can improve couples’ [...]
Something doesn’t seem right between the two of you and yet you don’t seem to understand what. What do you do? Do you let it be, expecting it to become right on its own? With this approach, you may end up making it worse. Do something the moment things seem different in a not-so-right sort [...]
What do you when you notice that you haven’t been feeling well for no apparent reason for some time? Do you think that you haven’t reached a stage where you need to see a doctor? Do you live with it unless it becomes worse enough to seek help? No, a sane person would not let [...]
It takes a lot of effort to make the decision to seek counseling. Once you have decided you want to seek therapy/counseling you need to find a good couples’ counselor. Don’t let friends and family decide the counselor for you. It is you who has to visit the counselor so it has to be you [...]
Everyone has a different way to cope with anger or sadness. In such moments, some prefer isolation while others need company. And the ones who need company don’t necessarily head off to a friend’s place; instead, they pick up the phone. Most of us call someone in times of stress and distress. The conversation need [...]
Several times earlier, we have emphasized going for pre-marital counseling. The reason we insist on this is to make the groundwork right. Here are four reasons why pre-marital counseling makes sense. You start right. Pre-marital counseling helps set expectations at the beginning. You need to figure out what your and your fiancé’s expectations are from [...]
If you have seen the perfect partner in your spouse as you entered matrimony, you have not started on the right note. There is no such thing as a perfect partner. Everyone has flaws. At times, expectations are what kill a marriage. Does that mean you should not have any expectation of your spouse? No, [...]
If there are no problems in a marriage, there is something seriously wrong. Irrespective of how similar two individuals come out to be, they are going to remain two different individuals. They may have a number of similar interests and thoughts but they are likely to have an equal or higher number of points of [...]
You have found your love. And you are all set to get married. But you realizing you have been fighting and bickering more often as the wedding day approaches. Friends dismiss your fears as pre-wedding jitters. Dr Marty, Marriage and Family Counselor, warns couples of this. It is important to resolve conflicts beforehand than to [...]
Author Judith Viorst once said, “One advantage of marriage is that, when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again.” Counseling is based on the same thought; it helps you stay in the marriage and make things right again. [...]
Marriage and Family Counselor Dr. Marty, in his website, lists down the things you can learn through marriage counseling. How to handle your partner’s rejection. Exactly what to do to get your partner to listen to you. How to handle your feelings of: hurt, frustration, and anger. How to turn around your partner’s hostility and [...]
Many people today are pressed for time and cannot take time out to visit a therapist. That doesn’t mean they don’t have needs. And you might be one of those busy professionals who needs to speak to someone, but are not sure how you’re going to fit that into your work day. The time spent [...]
Stepping out to seek counseling helps lay the groundwork for the future of your relationship. Even if your relationship with your spouse/partner hasn’t been all that great in the recent past, you can revive it with a little help. No, the counselor won’t give you a list of dos and don’ts to implement in your [...]
You have given up on your marriage, and you don’t want to give it another chance. Why go for marriage counseling then? Marriage counseling is for those who see a light at the end of the tunnel and want to save their marriage. Well, as long as you are not looking at parting ways and [...]
