6 Benefits of Using Marriage Counseling as a Preventative Measure
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6 Benefits of Using Marriage Counseling as a Preventative Measure
Navigating the complexities of a matrimonial partnership can be a daunting endeavor, but proactive measures, such as marriage counseling, can fortify a relationship against future challenges. This article delves into the myriad benefits of using counseling not just as a remedial action but as a preventative strategy, drawing on the expertise of seasoned therapists and relationship professionals. It offers a comprehensive exploration of how early engagement in open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving can set the stage for a resilient and fulfilling union.
- Invest in a Healthy Marriage
- Prevent Future Heartache
- Focus on Therapeutic Alliance
- Approach Counseling as a Team
- Seek Help Before Crisis
- Discuss Important Expectations Early
Invest in a Healthy Marriage
Marriage counseling is not only for couples who are struggling with their relationship. It is perfect for couples who want to take preventive measures and invest in a healthy, satisfactory, and long-term marriage. When you are able to discuss concerns and express needs early and regularly with a professional's help, you may prevent the big obstacles that may happen in the future. In my therapy practice, we offer Couples Check-Up services (https://relatereflecttherapy.com/couples-check-up). A "Couples Check-Up" is a chance to have some quality time with your partner and reflect on how you're doing together. It's an opportunity to slow down, look at each other, and ask: How are we really doing? What's working? What could be better? Think of it as a relationship tune-up. You'll celebrate the good stuff and set goals to make things even better in the year ahead.
Prevent Future Heartache
Marriage counseling is one of the best investments you can make in your relationship at any time, but it can prevent a lot of heartache and disconnection down the road if you do it as a preventative measure.
Couples who go to marriage counseling are aware of the destructive patterns they tend to get into and know how to get out of them sooner (even if those patterns seem small now). They know how to communicate with one another in a non-threatening, constructive way that helps them actually get closer.
I've seen couples go to premarital therapy and come out feeling more secure with one another because they know how to 'fight' and they have the tools to get through rough patches that will inevitably come up. Every couple deals with stress, but when they know how to find and deal with the landmines as a team, they don't feel as scared of what life may throw at them.
Focus on Therapeutic Alliance
The best evidence we have, from the "common factors" approach, is that the therapeutic alliance (relationship/connection) between the therapist and the client is the secret sauce! So really pay attention to this, even over their specific technique. Do you feel a connection to them in terms of their values, their approach, background, even to their sense of humor? That stuff matters because it allows you to feel more comfortable to open up and do good work together. This is coming from a couples counselor who has worked with dozens of couples over the past 15 years.
Approach Counseling as a Team
The number one piece of advice I give to couples thinking about seeking out marriage counseling as a preventative measure is that the therapy sessions need to be approached as a collaborative, team-focused experience, with the goal of mutual improvement. The reason I often share this is that without the correct mindset, competition can leak into the sessions, making the process counterintuitive to the initial goal.
Seek Help Before Crisis
As a divorce lawyer, I hear all the time from clients that they wish they had sought help sooner. Many couples wait until their relationship is already in crisis before trying counseling, when earlier intervention could have made a significant difference. My advice? Don't wait until things are falling apart to work on your marriage. Seeking counseling as a preventive measure helps build stronger communication, resolve small conflicts before they escalate, and establish a solid foundation for long-term success.
Couples who engage in therapy proactively often develop better conflict resolution skills, learn to express needs more effectively, and strengthen their emotional connection—all of which can prevent issues from reaching the point of no return. Investing in your relationship early can save you from much deeper struggles down the road, and in many cases, can prevent the painful process of divorce altogether.
Discuss Important Expectations Early
I think premarital counseling is always beneficial. Most couples aren't good at discussing all the very important things that will happen in a marriage.
A professional counselor will help them honestly discuss their expectations as well as their preferences for their future together.
I've learned the benefits are that people often have very different expectations from a marriage vs their time dating. And if they don't discuss them, there can be differences that, if not discussed ahead of time, can become a huge problem.
Some of the subjects the counselor will help them discuss are:
Finances, sex, children, religion, how much together time/apart time, vacations, household chores, neat/clutter, time with friends/family, pets, texting, talking on the phone, and so many more.
I've found the couples who participated in premarital counseling navigated their marriages with more grace and less turmoil.
