Marriage Counseling Can Be Beneficial At Any Time During A Relationship

You and your spouse have been fighting a lot, or you don’t feel quite as close to them as you used to – is it time for marriage counseling? When is the best time to start marriage counseling, and should it be before a problem arises, to enhance your current relationship, or after a problem?
Ideally, marriage would be a long, blissful life together with a partner you respect and love.  But the reality for many couples is something different. Research shows that most couples wait six years on average before seeking help for their marriage. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to repair your relationship, according to Terri Clinton Dichiser, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Kansas and Missouri.
All relationships and marriages go through ups and downs.  These bumps can be caused by many factors – finances, different politics, different friendships outside of the marriage, job and career stress, children and other relatives – practically everything and anything can be disruptive to a marriage.
A good time to attend marriage counseling is when:
  • You want to learn skills and tools to have a good or even better marriage or relationship
  • As soon as one of you thinks you need it, even if the other person doesn’t think so.
  • You feel stuck and what you have tried on your own is not working.
  • One of you feels emotionally or physically/sexually disconnected and can’t seem to change it on your own.
  • You fight or withdraw or refuse to address issues of conflict.
  • You think your partner is what is wrong with the marriage or relationship.
  • You are thinking you might be happier with someone else
Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) is the empirically supported model of therapy which has been around for over 20 years defining relationships as attachment bonds. It empowers couples by showing them to take control of disconnection and conflict.  For many couples their interactions go awry when one partner becomes angry at having to ask for care or attention.  Then one or both of them puts up an armor and then lash out.  Instead they learn how to discuss their concerns and needs.  We can not only heal relationships yet we can create relationships that heal.  When we do change these interactions it has been found that clinical depression or anxiety in one or both partners lift.
Marriage counseling helps with Take Charge inc
Terri provides an atmosphere for couples to connect to one another, engage in pivotal conversation, and listen to each other’s needs plus articulate your own needs to your partner while drawing them closer.
Often, couples can work out the problems which inevitably arise in a marriage.  However, sometimes those problems can seem too serious, too involved or just plain too messy for the couple to come up with a solution by themselves. It is at that point, and sometimes before that point, where marriage counseling can be a very positive step to take in order to find a solution for couples.
Terri has provided exceptional service to clients since 1991. Located in Overland Park, Terri works with families and individuals facing challenging situations, and helps clients address concerns in new and constructive ways.