Relationships usually start out as a grand adventure filled with romance and long conversation on the phone.  However, within months of falling in love or saying “I do”, things tend to become difficult and needless to say, “hard work”.  Often times we get caught up in the fairytale portion of relationships and tend not to prepare ourselves with the determination and selflessness it often takes to invite someone else into our life.

Are you struggling with marital conflict?  Is your spouse suggesting the two of you attend couples counseling but you really would rather not?  Well if you are wondering if couples counseling is for you and your partner, read on to find out 5 good reasons to attend couple’s counseling.

Improving communication: One of the biggest issues in a relationship tends to be communication barriers.  Opening up to one another about difficult circumstances and working through possible conflict is not a skill we all naturally possess.  Positive communication skills are taught, practiced, and practiced again.

Some people are natural communicators but for those who are not, a professional therapist is skilled in assisting couples break through barriers and establish communication tools that can lead to a closer more intimate connection.  If you find that communication is a major issue in your relationship, you may want to consider couple’s counseling.

Financial disagreements: Is money a hot topic in your house? Or is it not a topic at all? Financial discrepancy has been known to end a relationship if left unaddressed. Finding ways to balance the power and the check book in the household to create a win-win situation is most important.  Often times a third party can help resolve the financial disconnect while helping the two of you establish boundaries and as well as an alliance in order to successfully work as team.

Transitioning step families: Traditional parenting can be challenging but blending two new families together that already have their own culture and family values can seem impossible. There are a plethora of issues that come along with step parenting, sibling rivalry, and discipline disputes.  Family counseling or couples therapy would be an excellent aid for working out the bugs of the blended family.

Infidelity: Infidelity does not necessarily mean the end of a relationship.  In fact it is usually a symptom of an underlying problem that has been present in the relationship for some time.  A professional therapist/counselor can assist with helping you identify the underlying issues and address them so you can began working towards restoring a trusting committed relationship and have an even stronger bond than before. The truth is although it takes work, you can restore your marriage after infidelity.

Thoughts of divorce: Last but not least….If you feel like throwing in the towel, couples counseling is definitely a great option for you.  The statistics on divorce are astounding and mostly because couples haven’t been given the tools to stop fighting each other and start fighting for their marriage.  When a couple divorces it increases the chance that their next relationship will also fail.  I suggest that you try not to become another statistic and do all you can to create a healthy atmosphere free of toxicity.

There are many benefits a couple can get from counseling that increase positive interaction within the relationship.  If you have been in doubt about attending counseling with your partner, I suggest you take a deep breath and dive in.  Counseling can help you uncover the information that can change your life, your partner’s life, and the future of your family.