4 Signs It’s Time to Try Couples Counseling

Epheisans 4:2-3 offers wise advice for marriages:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Perhaps when you first met and fell in love, these verses were simpler to follow. At that time, you could never have imagined that someday the sound of your partner chewing could make you want to scream!

It’s inevitable that once we are out of our honeymoon phase and reality sets in, we realize that all relationships take work and compromise. But while some couples may hit bumps in the road every so often, other couples find themselves in bigger trouble, with neither party knowing exactly how to fix things.

If you are in a relationship that is no longer feeling healthy, here are 4 signs that it would be beneficial to try couples counseling:

1. There is No Longer Healthy Communication

Once you have a communication breakdown, you are unable to rationally share thoughts, feelings, and concerns with each other. You can neither engage in or resolve conflicts in a healthy and loving manner. Lack of communication or unhealthy communication tends to leave one or both partners feeling depressed, angry and hopeless.

2. Trust Has Been Broken

When there has been infidelity or another betrayal, it is extremely difficult for the couple to rebuild trust and repair the damage. While recovering from an affair or other significant betrayal takes time, a therapist can offer a safe place to process the pain of betrayal, and when the time is right, suggest tools and strategies to eventually rebuild trust.

3. You’re More Like Roommates

If you and your partner act more like roommates than romantic partners, there may be a lack of intimacy and thus a need for professional help.

4. One or Both of You Has Begun Acting Out

Perhaps you have tried to mask your real feelings for a very long time, and now you find yourself unable to hold back the hurt and resentment. Anger, pain, sadness, disappointments . . . these are all indicators that there are issues in the marriage that must be addressed before connection can be restored.

If you and your partner are interested in exploring treatment options, please reach out to Covenant Counseling Center. We would be more than happy to discuss how we may be able to help.