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 [...]
It often seems that the more years pass by, the more we become set in our ways. It becomes harder to be flexible, reach out or try something new. This was the case with Marge and Henry, who had been married for a whopping 54 years before entering couples counseling.
Marge had [...]
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, [...]
There are many schools of therapy in which counselors are trained. It is important to ascertain whether a particular direction of study suits you and your partners needs. But there are certain elements you can expect in your first few meetings with your couples counselor, overall.
* The [...]
In the case of Stella and Sam, private counseling seemed like an important choice. Stella had a crippling case of agoraphobia (social phobia) which had only grown worse over the years. Early on in her marriage, Stella managed her phobic reactions. She held down a job and could occasionally go out with [...]
There are couples who wouldn’t consider counseling at first. Take Josh and Anna, a young couple who started off as college sweethearts. Both are very driven individuals, whose chosen profession means a lot to them. When Anna started coming home later and later each night, Josh wrote it off to her new [...]
There are many reasons couples will shy away from counseling when they are in need. For some, it’s seen as a personal failure. Others don’t like the discomfort of revealing personal material to a stranger. And finally, there are many who just don’t understand what couples counseling entails.
It is fairly [...]
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 [...]
A common refrain heard from many individuals who would like to enter into couples counseling is, “I’m willing but he’ll never go.” This often halts the progress and healing that therapy offers. Frequently, one member of the duo simply won’t even ask, thinking they know the other partner so well.
Couples counseling is a [...]
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 [...]
In this day and age, most of us try to integrate some sort of fitness regime into our lives. Some may work out methodically at a local gym while others take on a leisurely stroll after a meal. But the majority recognize the importance of exercise and fitness when it comes to our [...]
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. [...]
Starting the counseling process is never easy. We usually encounter many internal roadblocks. There is often a sense of “I can take care of this myself” pride. Somehow we feel like failures for even thinking we need therapy. Shame can prevail but meanwhile, the problems continue.
One element that most people don’t [...]
Most people equate therapy with work. Problem is, most of equate work with something unpleasant, maybe something grueling.
When couples enter marriage counseling, there’s often a sense of a burden. Not only are they contending with whatever issues they are bringing to the table, but they have a sense of a “long journey [...]
Many marriages can suffer from a sort of apathy. We all get in our well-worn grooves; contenting with the daily grind of work, raising children, tending to our homes, paying bills, etc. It’s easy to think of marriage as something that’s self-sufficient. It’s as if you did the hard work by simply [...]
“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 [...]
