Stuart and Leah had recently gotten married and were having the time of their lives, traveling and exploring the world and genuinely getting to know one another. When they returned home, after a year of roaming the world, the trouble began. Leah became anxious and worried every time Stuart would leave her side. After a [...]
Les and Sammy knew the had a problem. A big problem. The only problem? They didn’t know what it was! As they sat before the couples counselor for the first time, Sammy had this to say:
He just…it’s hard to explain. But every time I talk, he seems to…well, it’s like he listens. But he’s not. [...]
Frank and Helen had been married 27 years when Frank was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He had less than a year to live and it hit the couple blindsided.
Helen explains to the marriage counselor:
We didn’t expect it in a million years. He’s always been so healthy. Finally, when we reach retirement, after working all [...]
Tabitha felt like she had been searching for Mr. Right her whole life, she told the couples counselor. When Doug came into the picture, he fit all of her internal qualifications: he was handsome, well-mannered, educated and independent. Doug became her first long-term relationship and eventually the two married. Trouble began when Doug’s gambling habit [...]
Larry was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder (often called manic depression) when he was 19 years old. Zeke had known this about Larry and went through many “roller coaster rides” with Larry, as Zeke put it. Through their 13-year relationship, Larry tried a myriad of medications, resorting to self-medicating many times, via alcohol and marijuana. Zeke [...]
Cross talking is a common occurrence with couples, especially those that are enmeshed or argumentative. Ted and Sally were suffering from serious cross talk, hence their need for marriage counseling. Their communication had long since ceased, after 18 years of marriage. They had become a brunt of jokes among the family as the couple who [...]
Felicia was taking no chances after her second marriage. She set up an appointment with a marriage counselor the second week after her wedding! According to Felicia:
Look, I know I love Sam. That’s not the issue. I just squabbled with my ex-husband for the last decade and I didn’t want to [...]
Many of the problems that arise on a daily basis, whether we are married or not, are met in habitual ways. When that woman cuts in front of you illegally on the highway, when that man bumps into you without as much of an “excuse me” in the grocery store - when we deal [...]
It took a lot to bring Bill and Beth into the counselor’s office. Both were stubborn types who didn’t see much of a reason for marriage counseling - except for the very real fact that their marriage was rapidly going down hill. Bill felt as if Beth didn’t do much to contribute to [...]
When Fannie and Hal arrived at their couples counseling, Hal had trouble entering the office. He felt very uncomfortable entering into therapy and only entered because “she made me,” as he later confessed.
Fannie had taken on a new job several months before. This was the first time she entered the workforce. [...]
Marriage counseling has helped many couple work through complex problems, ranging from infidelity to addiction to sexuality issues. On paper, some of these problems seem too big to move past but two people who are willing to make changes have an incredible amount of power. But there are times when problems or differences [...]
Helen and Maria had been living together for years before couples counseling became a complete necessity. Maria had decided to spend time with an ex of hers on a more frequent basis and this was making Helen increasingly uncomfortable. Maria assured her that there was nothing romantic between her and her ex but [...]
Phillip had never told Elizabeth about a longstanding addiction of his, until couples counseling. He had been taking pain medication for many years following a serious car accident. His back was badly injured but after several years of physical therapy, it had healed almost 100%. He continued to take pain medication afterwards, [...]
“Fourteen years of being unhappily married…and I don’t think I can take one more day.”
This is what Ralph expressed during his first couples counseling session. His wife nodded in agreement. Both were deeply unhappy. They had gotten married when Ralph was 19 and Teena was 18. She was pregnant. They [...]
Many couples experience a good deal of fear or anxiety before their first couples counseling session. This happens for a number of reasons. Telling a stranger about complex, intimate problems is never easy. You fear the counselor’s reaction - maybe they’ll tell you that your problem is insurmountable! You might think [...]
George and Karen had been married one year before they entered into marriage counseling. They never expected to have problems so early on in their relationship. The year leading up to the wedding had been full of bliss…and distractions. They were swept away in arrangements and family members visiting. They didn’t [...]
There is a societal stigma around therapy. Many people suffering in a relationship will refuse therapy just because of this, which is a shame. Some think of it as a failure or feel like they are “airing dirty laundry.” They’d prefer to deal with the persistent problems and suffer in silence than [...]
It’s not always easy to know when you and your significant other should consider therapy. There are difficult phases in a relationship that may not warrant professional help (though even temporary phases can be smoothed over with the assistance of a trained counselor). Perhaps one member is experiencing unemployment or physical problems and [...]
It’s never easy to discuss the prospect of therapy with a partner. There are many factors to c contend with. Perhaps one partner is very resistant to the idea of therapy for a number of reasons. Some people think of therapy as an admission of failure or shame. Or possibly communication [...]
No matter what your take is on counseling, one thing can be sure: your life changes after it. Sometimes it stimulates action. This could mean cohesive, focused actions to make your marriage better. It could also indicate the need for a separation, whether temporarily or permanently. Sometimes this is needed [...]
Many couples may endure years in a state of denial when they are encountering a chronic relationship issue. And it’s understandable. First of all, problems evolve - they don’t happen overnight. Something that seemed relatively small several years ago may suddenly seem like an angry elephant sitting in the living room. [...]
“If I had only known then what I know now.”
Somehow this phrase is particularly apt when it comes to relationships. Looking back on a history of relationships, some if not all of us wonder “What the heck were we thinking?”
That’s because relationships are a growing, expanding part of our [...]
