The Marriage Counseling Blog

The first year of a marriage can be a challenging and exciting time. Many couples assume that their new marriage will simply be an extension of their dating experience. These same couples are often met with confusion, anxiety and surprise when it doesn’t turn out that way. Hence why couples counseling is such a resource for newly married couples. Counseling can help navigate the new waters of a beginning marriage.

Many couples don’t expect the difference between their married and dating life - how this new level of commitment brings to the foreground bigger questions. These questions can be based in finance, the future, children, lifestyle and daily obligations. Dating, for the most part, no matter how serious has a “back door plan.” If you don’t live with your partner, you can go home at the end of the night. If you did live with your partner, there wasn’t so much of “big picture” element to contend with. Living together offered a certain sense of “now” and not “future” that is often comforting and simpler.

Another issue that faces newly married couples is a certain sudden diminishing of romance and intimacy. The pre-marriage period and the marriage itself offered so much passion that once that period is over, people feel like it’s time to go back to business as usual. While this is normal, that level of intimacy is important to foster for long-lasting relationships.

A new marriage can bring all sorts of elements into play. A happy, healthy couple is willing to face the dilemmas, no matter how difficult, together. Marital counseling can aid in setting the right course as well.