The Marriage Counseling Blog

At any given point during a long distance relationship there are different stages of relating, loving and communicating. When the more difficult stages of a relationship appear, couples counseling is a wonderful tool to help you learn about the natural progression of a relationship and how you can understand them and weather them in a way that will leave you both stronger and happier. Couples therapy sessions give you the opportunity to learn that you are not alone in how you feel, relate and communicate with one another.

Understand that your relationship and its ups and downs, often in predictable patterns, is the first step in taking charge of your relationship and your part in it.

The first stage discussed was the Romance, or Honeymoon Stage, characterized by a sense of extreme happiness, newness, excitement and positivism. The next stage in the Relationship Cycle was the Reality Stage, which is the time when the rose-colored glasses are off and you see, often for the first time, the negative aspects of your partner’s personality.

The third stage is the Childrearing Stage, the arrival of an entirely new dynamic of stress and unfocused intimacy that comes in conjunction with the arrival of your little bundles of joy.

The Accommodation Stage in the Relationship Cycle

This stage is one where the couple has overcome many difficult areas in their relationship and see and stay committed to who they are as individuals and as a couple. Learning about their needs and learning how to manage them along with the needs of their partner begin to diminish areas that previously caused intense differences. There is often a renewed commitment to each other and the hard work that is involved in a relationship.

Related Posts

• Childrearing Stage Isn’t Always a Bundle of Joy
• The Reality Stage of Relationships Hit Home
• Woods’ Marriage Counseling Takes Center Stage
• Individual Therapy for Success
• Equalizing Success in Couples Counseling