Therapy for Couples: Is It For You?

I know that traditionally, couples and marriage counselling is thought to be for relationships in trouble. However, that is not the case. Why not get help before your relationship is in trouble? All couples go through bumps and turmoil. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you get the help you need to save your relationship or to decide that you do not want to keep going with your relationship. Most couples could benefit from some type of therapy or counselling. Here are just a few reasons to consider couples counselling.

1. Are you moving from one phase of your relationship to another? Getting engaged, getting married, starting a family, etc? Therapy can help you navigate the rough roads and make sure that you are ready for the different commitments and changes that will be headed your way.

2. Therapy can help couples facing major financial decisions and help prevent major arguments from coming to fruition. These decisions could be changing jobs, buying a home, saving for college, or even as simple as setting a household budget and allowances. Money arguments are among the most common, so having a neutral third party could help keep things from getting out of hand.

3. Are outside forces causing tension? Jobs, school, children, in-laws, churches, organization, and so many other factors can affect a couple's relationship. If there is a rift or tension in your relationship due to outside forces, consider therapy for an objective look at the problems at hand. No outside force should ever destroy a relationship and a therapist or counsellor can help you work through these problems.

4. Is your nest about to be empty? Finding yourselves alone in a big house that has been previously full of loving family members can cause problems with some couples. Many times, people just do not know what to do with themselves and they find that they no longer know themselves or each other like they once did. A therapist can help you work past this, get to know each other again, and possibly help you find hobbies to fill the time with. Instead of fighting through your empty nest years, you can be enjoying each other's company like you haven't in years.

5. Have you had a major life upset? Have you lost a child, lost a parent, been fired, found that you cannot have children, or had a similar let down in your lives? Therapy can help you work through this together and your relationship could come out stronger than it has ever been. Situations like this are hard on any individual, but navigating through it together and remembering to keep the other's feeling and thoughts in mind can be even harder. A therapist or counsellor can help with this.

While counselling or therapy should be considered if you think your relationship is headed towards failure, there are many times that it can be helpful to prevent a couple from getting to that point. You owe it to yourself and your significant other to have a happy and healthy relationship, and to do whatever it takes to make sure that you are living in that type of relationship. Therapy or counselling may be your win!