Marriage Counseling
There are a wide range of reasons that someone may seek marital therapy. There may have been an event that has caused distress for the couple such as a loss or infidelity. There may be frequent breakdowns in communication leading to conflict and fighting. A couple may also experience a gradual loss of intimacy or satisfaction in the marriage. Some people seek marriage counseling simply to “tune up” the relationship, and strengthen the communication and relationship skills that help provide lifelong stability and happiness.At Meridian Behavioral Health, the marriage counselors all share a common goal: to reduce distress as quickly as possible, and to start building the positive aspects of the relationship that lead to intimacy and satisfaction. We also understand that people in a relationship may prefer very different therapy styles when seeking marriage counseling. Some couples want help processing difficult experiences and trying to find a resolution to them. Other couples may want a practical, skills-based approach focused on generating tangible changes in the relationship. All of our marriage counselors try to adjust their style and therapy goals to fit the needs of each couple’s specific needs.
What happens in Marriage Counseling? Do we just talk about problems?
No, not necessarily. While marriage counseling is often the ideal place to talk about past events with a therapist present to help the process, much of the work done in marriage counseling is about finding new ways of interacting with your spouse that leads to les conflict and more intimacy. Talking through problems is part of marriage counseling, but there needs to be an emphasis on strengthening the positive aspects of the relationship that may be missing.Does Marriage Counseling Work?
Absolutely. However, marital therapy is much like going to a gym or taking lessons in a foreign language: you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Our colleague Gwen Ames often says “Marriage therapy is not talking therapy….it’s doing therapy”. If you come ready to work, willing to listen to your spouse, are open to new ways of communicating, and are willing to engage in activities meant to strengthen the relationship, marriage therapy can be transformative.How do I know if I will like working with the marriage therapist?
Give them a try. You can request a brief consultation with one of our marriage counselors to see if they feel like a person you would like to work with. We would be happy to call or schedule a time to meet in person. All of us at Meridian Behavioral Health understand that your comfort level with a marriage counselor is one of the most important factors in your growth. Sometimes the characteristics of the therapist (gender, age, specialties, style) have an impact on the comfort of one or both partners in the marriage. We will not be offended if you ask to try a different therapist. There are currently three clinicians who provide marriage counseling at Meridian Behavioral Health. One is a male, and two are female.Whatever your needs are, you'll find our clinicians flexible and adaptive to the best approach for your circumstances. A few common issues we work with are:
- Communication Problems
- Intimacy Issues
- Family Conflict Management
- Parenting Support
- Resolving Separation
- Affairs / Trust Issues
- Anger Management
