The Marriage Counseling Blog

Mel Gibson’s divorce is all over the news. The Gibson’s have been married 28 years, and now it’s over. Dissolving a long-term marriage isn’t easy and if you’ve made it this far you don’t take divorce lightly. When a long-term marriage fails, it’s shocking. We like to think that a long marriage is a healthy marriage–but that’s not always the case. Marriage counseling can actually help couples decide if staying togetheror divorcing is the right thing to do. Even if you decide to separate, it’s wise to go into counseling. Marriage counseling can help each person address key issues, offer suggestions of how to deal with family and friends, and work out amicable conditions for the future. Indeed, coming out whole is important to everyone.  

Paul and Irene are coming to the end of their 32 year marriage.

Paul shares:

I think I’m mostly sad. I knew it was coming, and the hard part has been realizing we just can’t salvage our marriage. I think we’re both tired. We’ve been through so much–we met in college, started our careers, raised two children, moved a dozen times or so–and even the hard parts–Irene’s depression, my problem with drinking are all a part of who we are. I know we’ve made a million mistakes, but I think marriage counseling helped me accept these mistakes. I was so angry for so long, and now I’m not. I’m not angry at Irene or me. We’re just two people.

Irene shares:

It’s rather ironic that we ended our relationship with marriage counseling rather than to have started it that way. Both Paul and I have come to a place of peace about our relationship. We were at such odds for such a very long time. Both of us hung on hoping to work out our differences, but the last couple of years have shown me that it’s time to let go. We did a lot of damage–to each other and to our kids. Even though we’re divorcing, I’m in a better place now than I’ve been for a very, very long time.

Do I wish things were different? Yes and no. I’m okay with who I am now, so how can I regret how I got here?

Marriage counseling offers couples a chance to address old wounds, and to help establish healthy lines of communication couples need and deserve–whether they stay married of not.

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