Understanding The Counseling Process

Marriage Counseling Myths: Putting Common Misconceptions To Rest

3 October 2022

Timmothy Washington

When it comes to marriage counseling, you are likely to hear a variety of opinions on whether you should seek counseling or not. This leads to confusion about whether you and your partner should pursue counseling when problems arise. Understanding a few of the common misconceptions about marriage counseling can help put any unnecessary rumors to rest regarding what marriage counseling is all about.

Marriage counseling only works if both couples go  

One of the most common reasons couples do not go to counseling is that one partner refuses to go. It is often thought that for marriage counseling to be effective, it requires both partners to attend. However, even if one partner attends benefits can be achieved if the hesitant partner sees positive changes in the partner attending counseling. 

Marriage counseling is only for couples with problems

Another common myth is that counseling is only for those couples with conflicts in their relationship. Going to marriage counseling can help keep a good marriage strong and healthy. You can see it the same as going for a yearly physical at your doctor's office.

Getting a routine marriage check-up with a counselor can help you detect problems when they arise. The first signs of marital conflict may be subtle, which can allow them to grow into bigger issues if not addressed early. Counseling can also help you discuss ideas for keeping your marriage from succumbing to boredom.

Marriage counseling takes a long time

If you hesitate to seek counseling because you see it as a long-term commitment, you are not alone. Fortunately, marriage counseling does not have to take months to be effective. Working with the right counselor can be very effective in helping your resolve issues in a few visits or weeks.

Marriage counseling will fix everything 

You may avoid counseling because you heard about couples who went to counseling and still ended up in divorce court. Counseling will not fix every issue and a lot of the success depends on the willingness of each couple to work together to resolve issues. When counseling is not effective, it may be for many reasons, such as lack of commitment, failure to follow through with your counselor's advice, serious trust issues, etc.

There really is no good reason to avoid going to marriage counseling if your goal is to have a healthy and strong marriage. Putting myths and misconceptions aside is the first step to understanding the truth about marriage counseling. While it cannot resolve all your problems, marriage counseling can be a very effective resource for helping couples learn to work together to prevent and resolve marital conflicts.

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