Marriage Counseling Is Beneficial During Quarantine And Beyond

A common misconception about marriage counseling is that it is only for couples on the verge of divorce. On the contrary, every couple can benefit from marriage counseling, even if their relationship is solid. At Take Charge, Inc. in Overland Park, KS, Counselor Terri Dichiser uses Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to improve communication and strengthen the bond between partners.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a storm of stressors, from financial worries to facing our mortality. Besides that, sheltering in place with our partners and families tends to bring up and exacerbate the same old disagreements we had long before the crisis. 

We instinctively know that having the same arguments over and over is not productive, and often choose to ignore the problem in the hope that it will just go away. It almost never does, though, and these issues have a way of resurfacing at the worst possible time. Like when you’re stuck at home together for weeks on end.

Every couple, no matter how deeply in love and committed they are, has disagreements. Attempting to navigate them on our own often leads to negativity and blame. Marriage counseling at Take Charge, Inc. in Overland Park, KS gives you new tools and techniques to transform normal relationship stress into a stronger bond. 

Marriage counseling teaches couples to recognize negative patterns and change the way they talk to each other when problems arise. For instance, we learn to use “I” statements instead of “you” statements. “You never do the dishes” is accusatory and makes a partner feel defensive. “I feel stressed when the sink is full of dishes,” on the other hand, encourages empathy and a desire to help.

“I” statements alone will not have a profound effect on a marriage, but they are one of several tools we use to make larger improvements. EFT is a structured approach based on attachment science that was originally developed for couples counseling. A substantial body of research on the effectiveness of EFT shows large treatment effect sizes and stable results over time. This means that you won’t have to be in counseling indefinitely for the results to last.

Whether COVID-19 has brought up new issues in your marriage or you just want to make your bond even stronger, now is an excellent time to start couples therapy. For information about marriage counseling, call Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255. To schedule an appointment, click here.