Is It Time for Marriage Counseling? How You Can Tell

One of the biggest mistakes a couple can make is to ignore signs that indicate the relationship needs help. A divorce or separation can create tremendous amounts of emotional and financial hardship. Besides, splitting a union isn't always necessary, or even helpful. It's best to start with counseling. Here are some signs that it's time to seek marriage counseling.

Communication Breakdown

If you and your significant other are not communicating, it's a sign of trouble. The longer a lack of communication goes on, the harder it is to reestablish it. Without dialogue of some sort, one person will not know how the other person feels. That can lead to misunderstandings.

Are you afraid to speak on an issue or something that's bothering you? The fear of communicating your thoughts to your partner represents another obstacle to healthy dialogue. Maybe you just don't know how to bring up a subject, or you fear your partner's reaction.

It's possible there is negative communication. If all dialogue devolves into bickering, then it's possible the two of you simply do not know how to communicate with each other the right way.

Marriage counseling can help to establish new or more effective ways for two people to communicate with each other. Establishing positive communication can save a marriage, and bring two people closer.

Parenting Mismatch

Children create a completely new dynamic in a relationship. Sometimes they can strain a relationship. Hardships can develop as each of you must maintain work, activities, friendships, and other things, while including children.

One person may try to hold onto a lifestyle they had before children. One parent may feel they're spending all of their time with the children while the other barely sees them. You may feel your partner is too distant from both you and the children.

All of these things, and various other scenarios involving children, can test the relationship. Counseling can help you to figure out how to communicate about these issues and come to viable solutions for dealing with them. Counseling becomes even more important in these circumstances. That's because the relationship also affects the well-being of the children involved.

Something's Missing

If you or your partner thinks marriage counseling is something worth trying, then try it. Even if there's no concrete reason for it, there's something that you or your partner feels but cannot define.

Maybe something is missing. Whatever it is, it has the potential to damage the relationship. Just bringing up counseling can open the doors towards communication and resolution. For more advice, talk to a marriage counselor at Tim Robbins Counseling.

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