Relationship issues, while highly stressful, aren’t uncommon amongst married couples. Counseling can be vital in resolving your issues, so we suggest seeking the help of a Thriveworks in Brookline, MA marriage counselor or couples therapist as soon as possible. After all, partners who choose to seek help earlier on are more likely to overcome their differences than those who wait until even small issues turn into much bigger problems.
Weathering the Highs and Lows Together in Marriage Counseling
Even the most committed couples will have highs and lows over the years. Despite the fact that you’re in love, it’s unreasonable to expect you’ll always agree on everything. Sometimes you’ll be able to resolve your differences together, but at other times you might feel stuck, like you’re unable to work through them. You know what’s bothering you, but not how to fix it. If this sounds like what you’re currently going through, Thriveworks Counseling in Brookline, MA marriage therapy might be a great idea. “Any couple can benefit from marriage counseling,” says Corey Bisceglia-Kane, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker at our Brookline office. “Couples often seek counseling to improve communication or get out of longstanding negative patterns or when experiencing a life transition (marriage, children, new living environment, new job).”
Quite often, couples will put off seeking help because they’ve been able to work things out together in the past. They might also only be bothered by one problem in an otherwise great relationship and think their issues aren’t bad enough to require therapy. Unfortunately, if left unresolved, even small issues can start to make great relationships feel bad, so why delay any longer? The support of a couples therapist can really help get you back on track.
Common Relationship Issues Discussed in Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling
Do you feel like you’re the only couple experiencing your particular issue, or that you must be the only husband or wife who feels the way you do? It’s not unusual to think like this, and you may be surprised at the recurring themes that often trouble many couples.
Have you found yourselves disagreeing over any of the following matters?
- Fighting about how to spend or save money
- Disagreeing about how to raise kids
- Not communicating effectively with one another
- Struggling with intimacy issues
- Worrying about a partner who works too much.
Or, is what’s troubling you something completely different? A professional at Thriveworks in Brookline, MA couples counseling may not have dealt with your particular set of circumstances before, but their wealth of wisdom and expertise can help address your concerns in a safe, positive and non-judgmental way, whatever you’re facing.
How Brookline, MA Marital Therapists Can Help
In a survey conducted by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, more than 93% of American couples who attend therapy reported feeling it was effective in helping them move forward in their relationships, leaving them better equipped to deal with any issues that may occur the future. “Marriage counseling offers a space for couples to talk about their relationship issue,” Bisceglia-Kane explains. “Each person is given a chance to share their perspective and the goal is to have each participant feel better heard and understood by the other. Many relationship challenges are often a result of miscommunication or misunderstanding so this is an opportunity to work towards increasing understanding of the other person. The Gottman Method is often utilized to teach couples how to improve their satisfaction in the relationship and ways to better handle conflict when it arises.”
Furthermore, of those surveyed, 97% of couples said they considered attending counseling a success. With such great odds, might marriage counseling or couples therapy be worthwhile for you and your spouse?
When Divorce is the Best Choice
Occasionally, despite making efforts to address their issues, couples find that their relationship has broken down beyond repair. While no one says, “I do” expecting that one day they might get divorced, the fact is that separations happen.
Some sources are quick to mention that 50% of American marriages end in divorce, which can be discouraging for those who are working to improve their relationship or are contemplating leaving it. Don’t let these types of statistics get you down, though. This statistic has actually remained constant for about 30 years now; what has changed is our willingness to be open about relationship issues and divorce. Lately, we’re more willing to admit when things aren’t working, or feel empowered to leave a relationship if that’s the healthiest option.
Could divorce be on the cards for you and your spouse? If so, you may still want to consider working with a marriage therapist at Thriveworks Counseling in Brookline, MA. We can help facilitate healthy discussion during this difficult time, working to end your marriage in as respectful and positive a manner as possible. This is excellent if you’ll be co-parenting children, as it will make future interactions easier. Alternatively, you may be in counseling with the intention of giving your marriage another try, and realize that divorce is actually the right answer. We can provide pragmatic, sensitive support to aid you in moving on as individuals in a way that aims to minimize contention.
Whether you’re looking to restore happiness to your bond or would like to move on from your marriage, we can provide direction and guidance to help you on your journey.
Connect with Thriveworks in Brookline, MA Marriage Counselors
Remember, couples that enter therapy or counseling earlier to address their issues have a far higher success rate of working things out. If you feel you and your husband or wife could benefit from some new tools to improve your happiness and communication, connect with us at Thriveworks Counseling in Brookline, MA couples counseling and marriage therapy.
