Many people stay in unhappy marriages until resentment builds to the point where they feel that divorce is the only way out. Instead of voicing their unhappiness, they remain quiet. Instead of seeking solutions to issues, they go with the flow, hoping that things will change and the problems will go away. Others fight tooth and nail to make the marriage work before they consider divorce. These problem solvers do everything they can to resolve their issues before finally throwing in the proverbial towel.

But in most cases, these types of couples rarely ever consider marriage counseling before deciding to divorce. For some, it never even occurs to them as an option; for others, it’s likely due to the anachronistic social stigma attached to therapy and what it may lead others to think about them. As such, many completely avoidable divorces happen anyway.

Maintaining a marriage and solving the problems that naturally occur within it takes relational skills that only a few of us are naturally equipped with. While we may think we are doing everything possible to fix the issues in our relationship, a marriage counselor might be beneficial in showing us new ways of getting our needs met and solving our problems. By working with a professional, you will find that you have a strong voice and learn ways to get yourself heard. For those who might not be able to attend a physical session, there are options for online couples’ therapy available.

There are several other benefits of marriage counseling. But for now, we’ll take a look at just 5 benefits going to couples’ therapy.

1. Couples’ therapy will teach you how to communicate more effectively with your partner. By creating a safe atmosphere in which you can voice your needs clearly without fear of resentment or anger, couples’ therapy helps you communicate more effectively and allows your marriage to thrive.
2. Couples’ therapy will improve your conflict resolution skills. You will learn how to not only listen to your partner but also to process what they are saying intending to find a healthy resolution to the issues being discussed.
3. Couples’ therapy will teach you how to be assertive without offending your partner. For conflict resolution to work, you need to talk about issues and voice your opinions on matters without hurting your partner. Couples’ therapy will teach you how to get what you need without necessarily engaging in conflict.
4. Through couples’ therapy, you will come to understand who your partner truly is and what their needs indeed are. You will also learn more about your own needs, and you’re likely to find that those needs can be met within your marriage.
5. Couples’ therapy will help you develop a closer relationship with your spouse. Couples often seek therapy when they no longer feel the closeness they felt when they first got married. As they listen to each other and learn from one another, they begin to feel closer together again. As such, even couples that are not experiencing any specific marital problems or trying to work out an unhappy marriage can benefit tremendously from couples’ therapy. For them, online couples’ therapy could make a lot of sense.

A relationship in distress needs a powerful intervention to change the momentum and get things back on track. An Affair Of The Heart offers couples counseling retreats that offer change, connection, and healing in days, not years, as required by one-hour weekly in-person or online couples’ therapy. You can learn more about our couple’s retreats here.