Marriage counselors have many roles and responsibilities; in the most basic sense, their main role is to help married couples work through the difficulties in their relationship. Marriage counselors use a variety of therapeutic approaches, including counseling, psychotherapy, and behavioral therapy. The goal of any type of therapy is to improve the client’s ability to function in life; the same is true about marriage counseling, with the additional goal of improving the quality of the relationship.

Counseling can help resolve many problems between partners and repair damage, but the success rate of marriage counseling depends on several factors unique to each situation, including:

⦁ How Long the Marriage Has Been Experiencing Problems — When a problem is addressed early, it is much more likely to achieve propitious outcomes. The opposite is true for conflicts that have been going on for years; it can be challenging to repair decades of damage. Sometimes, the damage is too great to repair and the problems cannot be unraveled.

⦁ How Much the Partners Want to Save Their Marriage — In cases where couples genuinely want to save their marriage and live a happy life together, the results are generally very high. However, if there is not an authentic desire to repair their marriage, the likelihood of saving it is low.

⦁ The Overall Health of the Relationship — If there is violence or abuse in the relationship, then this should be handled sensitively; while some violent situations can be resolved, there is no point in saving a marriage that is toxic to both people and causes more trauma than benefit.

⦁ How Well the Arrangement Meets the Needs of Each Person — To make sure that each person is getting what they need from the relationship, it takes a hard and honest look at the desires and aspirations of each individual. If a person’s marriage is suppressing everything they want to do over the next few decades, it may be worth considering what is most important to live a good quality of life for both parties.

There are a few prominent signs in a marriage that indicate when it is time to go for marriage counseling; these include:

⦁ Not taking the time to spend time with one another, including sitting down and having a decent conversation
⦁ Arguing about trivial matters almost every day
⦁ Keeping secrets or hiding information from one another
⦁ Suspected affair outside marriage
⦁ Feeling attracted towards other individuals
⦁ Both have committed to financial infidelity
⦁ Conversations are generally negative
⦁ Fear to speak up about concerns
⦁ One person has been unfaithful
⦁ Withholding affection as punishment
⦁ Dramatic changes to sex life
⦁ Not honest about finances
⦁ Constantly bickering over the same issues
⦁ Staying together for the wrong reasons
⦁ Behaving negatively toward each other
⦁ Unable to work things out independently
⦁ No longer spending meaningful time together
⦁ Problems have persisted and are getting worse
⦁ Every problem is a big problem

Marriage counseling is covered under some insurance plans, but not all; it is important to check with your individual policy to determine your level of coverage. Reaching Resolution is in-network with many insurance providers, including Aetna, North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and Employees, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (except Blue Value, Blue Local, and Blue Lowe’s). We also bill out of network for other insurances; please call our office for more information. If you need help with your marriage, come to Reaching Resolution for professional counseling. Call us today to book an appointment with our marriage counseling specialist, or visit our clinic conveniently located at 9719 Northeast Parkway, Suite 100, Matthews, NC 28105. We look forward to serving you!