What To Expect From A Marriage Counsellor
Posted on: 19 May 2023
If you and your partner are considering pursuing marriage counselling, you may be wondering what you can expect from a marriage counsellor. A marriage counsellor can work with couples to address a range of issues, such as communication, trust and conflict, and can help couples make decisions about the future of their relationship. As a form of talking therapy, marriage counselling provides a confidential, neutral space for couples to explore their feelings and air their grievances with the goal of coming to a resolution. You don't need to have a firm idea of what you want to explore during your sessions, as your marriage counsellor can help you unpack your feelings and get to the root of the problem, but you should be willing to open yourself up and be vulnerable during your sessions to get the most out of them. It's typical to see your marriage counsellor on a weekly basis, but you can discuss appointment frequency with them.
Choosing Your Marriage Counsellor
You should take an active role in choosing a marriage counsellor you're comfortable with. Talk to a few to get an idea of their style and how you feel chatting with them, as you're going to be sharing a deeply personal part of your life with this person. Like everyone, counsellors have their own personalities, so it's important to find someone whose personality is a good fit with yours. Additionally, it's a good idea to discuss their experience, working hours and fees before committing to working with a particular counsellor.
What To Expect From Your Appointments
It's normal to have some initial discomfort when attending marriage counselling, as discussing your relationship with a stranger is likely a new experience and you may feel vulnerable. Your initial appointment will consist of your counsellor establishing the reasons you've sought out marriage counselling and what you hope to get out of the sessions. There will be some fact-finding to establish the length of your marriage and whether you share children, and you'll have the opportunity to raise any questions.
During subsequent sessions, you can expect your counsellor to take an active listening role and to provide a degree of mediation between you and your partner. They will provide a supportive environment and offer constructive feedback to help you and your partner to move forward. You can also expect your marriage counsellor to help you develop healthy habits and new tools you can use to improve your marriage. Part of this process may involve carrying out tasks together between counselling sessions and evaluating the task at your next session to determine what went well and what problems arose.
As you work through the issues that caused you to seek out counselling, you will likely reduce how frequently you see your marriage counsellor, and you will reach a point where they work with you to end the counselling relationship, as you move forward with the tools you need and the skills you've learned.
Beginning the search for a marriage counsellor can be highly emotive, but if your relationship is suffering, it can be the first step to a better marriage and a happier you.
Find out more about marriage counselling by talking with a local therapist.
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