When making the decision to see a trained couples counselor, there are many things this person can help you with: communication difficulties, a change in level of emotional connection, trust issues, understanding each other better, or even getting your friendship back, to name a few areas. Couples counseling can even help with a relationship tune up, to get back on track. It’s important to see a trained couples counselor who has the knowledge and skills to help your relationship. This is different than a counselor who has knowledge and skills to help an individual and then attempts to apply individual counseling skills to the relationship–this won’t be as effective.
No matter how effective a couples counselor may be, how ready and willing you and your partner are to explore issues and make changes will be the key to the success. You will need to practice and apply skills in between sessions that your counselor teaches you in order to see ongoing success.
Go to see a couples counselor before it is too late. Statistics show that many couples wait 6 years after a problem has started to see a counselor. Prevention is much easier to tackle than intervention.
Couples counseling can be very effective. If you go into it with an open mind and with the hopes your relationship can improve as a result of applying the skills, you will have better results.
Carolyn Cole, LCPC, LMFT, NCC 