Counseling Different than Expected
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 what counseling is.
According to Sherry:
I envisioned a smartly dressed, enigmatic counselor in a modern office. Someone who would listen and then correct what we were doing wrong, leading us to some sort of relationship epiphany so we’d be fixed. That’s not exactly how it happened. Our counselor was older, dressed in soft warm sweaters and had an LL Bean rug on the floor. He listened, but he didn’t correct us or lead us to an epiphany. He guided us, helped us understand each other and ourselves and put us on the path to fixing ourselves. He was less City Counselor and more Armchair Guide. Looking back, I doubt that my ideal of a counselor would have actually been the one to help us. Gary, our real counselor, helped us more than I could have ever imagined and I’m glad he was everything I wasn’t expecting.
Just as couples enter marriages with certain expectations, often finding that the reality of marriage is far different, couples often enter into counseling the same way. With a set of expectations and goals that end up being far from the end result.
If you are entering into counseling, try to keep an open mind about the experience rather than judge the initial meeting by preconceived notions of what a counselor should be.
Related Posts
- Marriage Counseling – When Expectations Get in the Way
- Couples Counseling and Adjusting the Dream
- Five Reasons Why Every Marriage Needs Counseling
- Why Seek Counseling Before Marriage
- 4 Reasons You Should Go For Pre-Marital Counseling
