If your relationship is on the rocks, breaking up isn’t the only option: couples counseling can salvage a strugglingmarriage— or even improve a good marriage. Just ask rocker P!nk, who has attended couples counseling with her husband, Carey Hart, for most of their 17-year relationship. ShetoldTodayhost Carson Dalythat couples counseling saved her marriage. “It’s the only reason we’re still together,” she said.

When should you consider couples counseling?

Couples counselingcan be influential in improving overall relationship satisfaction. You should consider couples counseling if there is a specific problem you wish to focus on in your relationship, if you wish to gain insight into your relationship, or if there is any issue you think could be helped witha trained, objective, unbiased perspective.Couples therapy is beneficial for any kind of relationship, including: straight or gay relationships, interracial relationships, young teen or college relationships, relationships with a large age gap, and relationships at any stage.

Marriage Counseling OnlineStrengthen your marriage with the help of an experienced, licensed marriage counselor, from home and at your convenience.Start here

Marriage Counseling OnlineStrengthen your marriage with the help of an experienced, licensed marriage counselor, from home and at your convenience.

Marriage Counseling Online

Strengthen your marriage with the help of an experienced, licensed marriage counselor, from home and at your convenience.

Start here

Couples Therapy OnlineStrengthen your relationship through couples therapy you can participate in together or apart, at your convenience.Learn more

Couples Therapy OnlineStrengthen your relationship through couples therapy you can participate in together or apart, at your convenience.

Couples Therapy Online

Strengthen your relationship through couples therapy you can participate in together or apart, at your convenience.

Learn more

Indicators Couples Counseling Might Work For You

Even the best long-term relationships can hit difficult patches. But don’t turn to therapy only when floating through rocky waters: couples counseling smooths over the rough edges of your relationship, even whenmostthings are going okay. That merry-go-round argument you keep having — about family, the dishes, or your dream home? Maybe it’s time to stop. Research published in theJournal of Family and Marital Therapyshows that 7 out of 10 couples have a positive experience in couples therapy. A relationship counselor can help you and your partner work through the issue.

What is the success rate of couples counseling?

Here are a few indicators that couples counseling might work for you.

1. Arguments are intensifying — or just repeating

Don’t let these repetitive spats be the sticking point in your relationship. Working with a couples counselor can help dig into the roots of the problem. Often, more lies beneath the surface than we expected. For example, rom-coms versus action flicks mightseemlike a simple matter of balance. But in reality, one spouse just doesn’t feel heard.

If you’re increasingly going ’round and ’round in more circles, a counselor can help you figure out why this might be the case.

2. Your arguing style has changed…or wasn’t great from the start

Let’s make one thing clear: arguing isn’tbad, per se. Even 20-years-married couples will probably find new things to argue about. Expecting two different people to agree 100 percent of the time is absurd.

The key ishowyou argue. Do you consider your partner’s point of view? Or are all arguments focused on your feelings and your feelings alone? Speaking of those feelings, are they calmly discussed, or do you resort to yelling?No amount of therapy will make you and your spouse magically agree on everything, but a counselor will help you argue better and more productively.

3. Something feels off

Relationships have their hills and valleys. Some days you’re riding a high, so in love with your partner you think you might burst. Others…not so much. Perhaps you’re irritable, feeling neglected, or just yearning for me-time. If your relationship has felt “off” for a while, consider meeting with a counselor.

A therapist can help you and your partner pinpoint the reasons for the slump and develop proactive and effective solutions. Perhaps you need a fun trip with your favorite friends, or maybe the solution is as simple as equitable housework. Together, you can push out of your relationship valley and into a new high.

4. You or your spouse cheated

Infidelity can wreck a marriage— but it doesn’thaveto be the end. Whether you and your partner are hoping to heal after cheating or break up with minimal pain, a couples counselor can help.

Your therapist can help you work through the scary questions, like “Why did this happen?” and “Does this mean you don’t love me?” They will also help uncover the subconscious reasons behind the affair. Together, you can address the issues that led to infidelity — and recover from the pain it wrought.

5. Your communication could use work

Ah, “communication.” One of those psychology buzzwords that youknowyou should work on, but never quite know how. Enter your couples counselor, who is trained to identify poor communication patterns and offer tools to improve.

Not sure if yourcommunication could use some work? Here are some signs to look out for in yourself or your partner:

Even if your communication skills are decent, a checkup never hurts. Remember that couples counseling doesn’t have to be a life-long commitment. For some couples, like Pink and her husband, regular therapy helps tremendously. Others prefer occasional sessions, or going only for a few months.

Don’t think of couples counseling as suitable only for “damaged” relationships, you may find that therapy transforms your great relationship into a fantastic partnership.

Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.

Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.

Commonly Asked QuestionsWill insurance cover couples counseling?A majority of insurance companies do not cover couples counseling, but clarify this with your personal provider. In-person couples counseling tends to cost around $175 per session, which might not be an affordable option for many. You might want to consideronline couples counseling with Talkspace— a monthly subscription costs $396, and the quarterly plan is just $1,068. Online counseling gives you 24/7 access to your therapy session and alleviates the stress of scheduling appointments. Online couples counseling comes with many benefits, allowing you to access your therapy sessions 24/7 whatever time you need, wherever you are.Can couples counseling save a marriage?Many marriages end because couples don’t have the tools necessary to manage their issues. Couples counselors, usually Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), are able to help couples break down marital problems and work on solutions.Researchfrom the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), showed that up to three-fourths of couples saw improvements in their relationships aftercouples counseling. For many marriages, counseling is effective in providing a space for couples to nurture theirrelationship, communicate their feelings, and emerge with practical, worthwhile solutions to implement into their lives together.Do couples therapists ever suggest divorce?Couples therapiststypically will not recommend a divorce; they will keep their personal views to themselves, believing that only the partners involved can morally make that decision. If the relationship is abusive, however, although most therapists still won’t recommend a divorce, they will help the victim separate themselves and find help.

Commonly Asked Questions

Will insurance cover couples counseling?A majority of insurance companies do not cover couples counseling, but clarify this with your personal provider. In-person couples counseling tends to cost around $175 per session, which might not be an affordable option for many. You might want to consideronline couples counseling with Talkspace— a monthly subscription costs $396, and the quarterly plan is just $1,068. Online counseling gives you 24/7 access to your therapy session and alleviates the stress of scheduling appointments. Online couples counseling comes with many benefits, allowing you to access your therapy sessions 24/7 whatever time you need, wherever you are.

Will insurance cover couples counseling?

A majority of insurance companies do not cover couples counseling, but clarify this with your personal provider. In-person couples counseling tends to cost around $175 per session, which might not be an affordable option for many. You might want to consideronline couples counseling with Talkspace— a monthly subscription costs $396, and the quarterly plan is just $1,068. Online counseling gives you 24/7 access to your therapy session and alleviates the stress of scheduling appointments. Online couples counseling comes with many benefits, allowing you to access your therapy sessions 24/7 whatever time you need, wherever you are.

Can couples counseling save a marriage?Many marriages end because couples don’t have the tools necessary to manage their issues. Couples counselors, usually Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), are able to help couples break down marital problems and work on solutions.Researchfrom the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), showed that up to three-fourths of couples saw improvements in their relationships aftercouples counseling. For many marriages, counseling is effective in providing a space for couples to nurture theirrelationship, communicate their feelings, and emerge with practical, worthwhile solutions to implement into their lives together.

Can couples counseling save a marriage?

Many marriages end because couples don’t have the tools necessary to manage their issues. Couples counselors, usually Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), are able to help couples break down marital problems and work on solutions.Researchfrom the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), showed that up to three-fourths of couples saw improvements in their relationships aftercouples counseling. For many marriages, counseling is effective in providing a space for couples to nurture theirrelationship, communicate their feelings, and emerge with practical, worthwhile solutions to implement into their lives together.

Do couples therapists ever suggest divorce?Couples therapiststypically will not recommend a divorce; they will keep their personal views to themselves, believing that only the partners involved can morally make that decision. If the relationship is abusive, however, although most therapists still won’t recommend a divorce, they will help the victim separate themselves and find help.

Do couples therapists ever suggest divorce?

Couples therapiststypically will not recommend a divorce; they will keep their personal views to themselves, believing that only the partners involved can morally make that decision. If the relationship is abusive, however, although most therapists still won’t recommend a divorce, they will help the victim separate themselves and find help.

Share0Tweet0Pin it0

Share0

Tweet0

Pin it0