Marriage Counselling – Who, When & Why

Movies and TV shows make it seem like marriage counselling is only for couples who are constantly yelling at each other. Counselling is portrayed as a last resort for spouses who can hardly stand to be in the same room together. Indeed, in situations such as those, working with a counsellor can be very helpful in assisting couples to improve communication and find strategies for handling conflicts. In contrast to what’s depicted by the media, many couples of all ages and at all stages of relationships seek the assistance of counselling. Here are some other common reasons that couples may choose to try marriage counselling.

Improving Communication
Couples can benefit from learning new communication skills to enhance their interactions, create deeper emotional intimacy and get along better. For example, our counsellors can help couples incorporate mindfulness, active listening and clearly communication of personal needs into their conversations.

Parenting Support
Regardless of the age of children, our counsellors can help couples navigate the challenging and wonderful world of parenting. This includes discussing differing beliefs on how to raise children, blending families, finding time to spend together as a couple while meeting parenting responsibilities, and handling the ebb and flow of emotions which accompany family life.

Assistance During Transitions
Changes in employment situations, schedules, moving, caregiving and health challenges can all impact the day-to-day interaction between couples. Marriage counselling can help couples feel more “grounded” and find ways to support each other during life transitions.

Planning the Future
In the context of a counselling session, where couples express their needs, fears and desires, they can create a vision of the future they want. A counsellor can help with creating strategies to articulate and help achieve these goals.

While marriage counselling is known as a resource for couples in frequent conflict, it can also be of great benefit for couples at any place in their relationship journey. Thinking of it as ‘having a Marriage Coach’ can be a good way to approach the idea if Marriage Counselling sounds like it isn’t quite right for you. The easiest way to see if marriage counselling could be a good fit is to book a no-obligation complimentary consultation with one of our counsellors. This way, couples can meet a counsellor, learn about the counselling process and discuss the possibilities of moving forward together.

The following blog postings have been helpful for many of our clients and may be of interest to you, too. Please note that they do not replace professional support and assistance. If you find yourself in crisis, please reach out to support resources in your community.