What To Expect From Marriage Counselling?
Marriages are not an automatic guarantee of a blissful and happy life. Differences and issues can and will arise. If left to fester or handled incorrectly, small problems can become very serious. In situations where those problems seem insurmountable, marriage counselling is used to bridge the gap between the couple and help them find common ground.
Hence, the team at Manotick Marriage would like you to know exactly what anyone attending marriage counselling can expect.
First Marriage Counselling Session
In your first session with the therapist, establishing trust between you and the counsellor is key. Your therapist will help you understand that a session is a place for you to say what you need to without judgement. You also need to establish the specific goals you are trying to achieve in your relationship and the present (or crucial) issues that hamper your relationship.
There will be paperwork, policy review, cancellation guidelines, and other more technical factors that will be discussed in that first meeting but you mostly want to ensure that you can trust the opinion of the counsellor. They will want to understand your differing backgrounds and personalities so they can better understand your needs and how to help you achieve your goals.
Misconceptions of Marriage Counselling
At Manotick Marriage, we’ve observed many counselling myths and misconceptions that create resistance in our clients. These obstruct and sometimes prevent the counsellor from helping the couple. As such, we’d like to take a look at some of these myths and explain how they do not help.
Strangers Cannot Help
A common misconception of marriage counselling is that an outsider, with no investment in the relationship, is incapable of providing useful advice or solutions. However, that lack of investment is actually a huge positive because it fosters objectivity and fairness. Friends and family members can be helpful but they are emotionally biased toward one partner or the other. The therapist is there to help both partners and will make observations and suggestions without bias.
Therapy Is Too Slow
Healing a relationship cannot be rushed. The partners need to understand how to move forwards with each other and work through their issues. That process will require some time. However, couples counselling is usually much shorter than other types of counselling. Once the couple has a firm grasp of the tools required to grow and has made significant progress in their problems, they can proceed outside therapy.
Therapy Is For Weak Couples
Marriage therapy serves more than just couples whose relationship is in trouble and about to collapse. It is for those couples who want to connect better and handle their emotions properly. Going to counselling doesn’t mean you and your partner are constantly fighting but it can help your relationship grow stronger.
Benefits of Marriage Counselling
The advantages of marriage counselling are numerous and useful.
Confront Your Fears
Fear is a significant factor in a large number of people and it can have detrimental effects on marriages. Couples counselling can help you identify the fears that hold you back or cause you to sabotage your marriage. Then you can learn to overcome your fears and keep them from affecting your relationship.
Communicate Effectively
A communication breakdown can cause many significant problems in any marriage. With marriage therapy, you can learn how to do more than just talk to your partner. You and your partner will learn how to express your feelings and needs and how to be receptive to each other.
Conflict Resolution
In every marriage, there will be issues that set you against your partner. Learning how to handle those problems and land on common ground without scorching the earth is crucial. Relationship counselling will help you learn how to resolve conflicts without triggering or offending your partner.
Manotick Marriage Therapy Specialists – Friendly and Supportive
Marriage counselling can provide you with that lifeline you need when your marriage seems broken beyond repair. When you and your partner can discuss your problems in a safe space, you can strengthen your relationship and move forward with a healthy relationship.
Please contact us if you need marriage counselling in Manotick and its surrounding areas. Manotick Marriage exists to help couples realign their values and provides a neutral ground for discussing any issues in the relationship. We aim to help you rekindle old bonds and repair any damage that the relationship has suffered and reach an understanding that helps you grow together.