3 Ways Marriage Counseling Can Strengthen Your Marriage
Posted on: 27 November 2018
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It can be tempting to see marriage counseling as a last resort, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although marriage counseling is indeed useful for people whose marriages are on the rocks, it can also be beneficial for people in healthy marriages. If you're worried about seeing a counselor due to your Christian faith, rest assured that there are many Christian marriage counselors who use faith-based counseling techniques to help couples just like you. Here are three ways marriage counseling can strengthen your marriage:
1. Learn conflict resolution skills.
Fights are natural in any relationship. Sometimes your spouse does something that bothers you and you need to air your grievances. However, there are productive and unproductive ways to argue. According to Focus on the Family, lashing out due to anger is detrimental to your marriage. If you're in the habit of saying things that you later regret during arguments, marital counseling can help you learn to curb that impulse. A marriage counselor can teach you how to argue with your spouse in a productive way that helps you both come to mutually beneficial solutions.
2. Better appreciate your spouse.
When you have something good every single day, sometimes the newness wears off and you can start to take it for granted. This is fine when you're talking about a favorite hobby, but it spells trouble when it comes to your marriage. If you've begun taking your spouse for granted, that can lead to feelings of resentment and anger over time. Marriage counseling can help you learn to be more appreciative of your spouse in ways that make them feel cherished.
3. Ask for what you need.
Too often, people are uncomfortable asking for what they really need from their spouse. If you really want your spouse to help clean up around the house more, and you hint at it by saying things like, "This house sure is dirty!" then you might be guilty of this. When your spouse doesn't know what you need, they can't provide it for you. It's unfair to blame them for not being a mind reader. A qualified marriage counselor can help you learn to be more assertive in asking for what you want, which will strengthen your marriage.
You take your car to the mechanic for regular servicing in order to keep it in good working condition. Like a car, marriage flourishes when you regularly put work into it. A Christian marriage counselor can help you and your spouse communicate more effectively so you can have a healthy, long-lasting marriage.