Empowering Your Relationship

Many people are reluctant to get marital and pre-marital counseling. Sometimes they are afraid to expose weaknesses in their relationship. If you are afraid you will find something wrong, there probably is something wrong. Ironically pre-marital and marital counseling is not designed to tear down a relationship but to strengthen it.

If someone suspected, he or she had a physical ailment that person would go to see a doctor. Similarly, physicals are designed to detect or prevent ailments. Life brings challenges to everyone. Pre-marital counseling is a tool that can help relationships persevere through life’s challenges by helping the couple develop plans of action to overcome future potential obstacles.

Differences of opinion should be expected and are not necessarily signs of incompatibility. Discussing topics such as, finances, the raising of children, working from home, working away from home, sex, and how to handle potential intrusions from outside influences and even family, can help couples develop a game plan for how these issues will be handled. It is also often a means to discover complimentary and conflicting viewpoints that are often overlooked during the courtship phase. Compromises can be reached before issues occur when it is often difficult to reach them.

One can think of it as a service contract. It does not mean anything is currently wrong, but it provides guidelines to dealing with issues that both parties can agree on prior to any issues occurring. This helps form bonds and agreements that increase the depth and resiliency of the relationship that in turn helps a couple overcome the eventual future challenges that any relationship encounters.

Couples currently in a relaitonship often come across obstacles that are new and unfamiliar. They may need help getting past them. Marital counseling allows a third party who is uninvolved in the relationship to offer an objective perspective. Marital counselors are trained to provide objective perspectives while providing a safe, unconditional environment for the couple to express their concerns and opinoins. The counselor provides new material for the couple to consider and use in developing their own solution so they can move forward in their relationship.

If all of this is taken into consideraiton, pre-marital and marital counseling says more about a couples commitment to making the relaitonship grow than not going to therapy. Don't let social stigmas and concerns rob you of the providence and happiness you and your significant other can enjoy.