Couples Counseling and the Ties that Bind
Issues with other family members is one of the most common issues seen in couples counseling. Nothing, it seems, can cause more friction than when a significant other doesn’t get along with an equally significant family member.
Here’s what one spouse has to say:
Gosh, how can I put it nicely. I hate her. I hate my mother-in-law. And I don’t like using the word hate lightly. But she is trying to ruin my marriage and my marriage means everything to me. She is there at every turn, with a criticism of me…and this has been years. So now, I don’t even like her coming to my home…well, our home. And Hank is upset about that and I don’t blame him. But I’ve tried as much as I feel like trying. I’m done with her backbiting, her subtle ways of insulting me, her obvious ways of insulting me. Done. That’s why we’re here. We’re at a standstill. A total standstill.
There is no easy answer when it comes to integrating families. It can cause years worth of dissension, like the example above. In this particular case, the couple talked very openly about their situation, in a safe environment. Both were allowed to vent their frustrations and this alone began some healing (since the couple had stopped discussing the problem months back.)
After several months, the couple and the counselor came up with some coping skills that helped them ease through the “rough spots” of the occasional in-law visit. In addition, both had the opportunity to explore some of the deeper issues that were going on. As is the case most of the time, there are usually several layers of marital issues to work through.
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- Couples Counseling – When Two Worlds Unite
- When Couples Personalities Clash, Marriage Counseling Help Smooth Out Their Differences
- Couples Counseling for New Marriages
