Couples seek therapy for many reasons. Too often, couples don’t even ask the question about when to seek help until there are serious problems in the relationship or one partner has engaged in infidelity. Most experts agree that it is best to start early, even before you really believe you need to go to therapy. If you need a relationship counselor in Austin, call Austin Professional Counseling for an integrated approach to healing relationships.
Marriage and intimate relationships are sacred. Investing in your marriage and working to build a stronger relationship offers advantages for the happiness of every member of the family, including children. Your stress levels, overall sense of well-being, and even health may improve when the problems plaguing your relationship are addressed.
In most marriages, issues and disagreements start off small. Over time, problems that are left unresolved continue to grow. Partners begin to feel misunderstood, unappreciated, and increasingly unhappy. If the issues continue to go unresolved, the relationship can be seriously damaged and one or both partners may engage in an affair. This is often the point when many couples start looking for relationship counseling in Austin.
Unfortunately, by that time, the marriage is seriously distressed and one partner may have already made the decision to file for divorce. A better way to preserve your relationship is to seek help before the relationship is harmed. Addressing issues early before there is resentment or bitterness results in a better outcome and learning the skills and tools to resolve disagreements can prevent couples from reaching that point.
Couples are making the decision to attend premarital counseling or seek psychotherapy early in the marriage to learn to deal with a myriad of issues that either increase or decrease marital satisfaction. Couples therapy prepares them for problems, such as a lack of communication, financial disagreements, sexual dissatisfaction or infidelity, and help dealing with major life changes.
Sooner or later, conflicts arise in even the most harmonious marriages. Spending some time in couples therapy before there is marital dissatisfaction allows couples to learn effective tools to resolve conflicts. This helps couples enjoy open communication as they work together to navigate the transitions in life, such as starting a family, job loss, addiction recovery, serious illness, relocation, and any of the many other situations that arise in life.
Sometimes the presence of an objective third party can help a couple learn to communicate more effectively. The marriage therapist should work to create an atmosphere where partners are able to discuss sensitive issues. Starting therapy early, before problems feel insurmountable, can also increase the comfort level of each partner, preventing them from feeling blamed or attacked, as can happen when couples enter therapy after the marriage is already in trouble.
Proactive relationship counseling in Austin has helped many couples develop a deeper understanding of each other, better loving habits, and more effective communication skills that lead to more peace, contentment, and satisfaction within the marriage. Although it is best to come before problems arise, seeking couples therapy at any point in the marriage is the best way to resolve issues and strengthen your relationship.
