Marriage counseling and couples therapy sometimes come with a reputation. It’s the last step for a lot of people on the road to divorce as well as something to avoid at all costs. But that is totally wrong. The news is actually really great! Relationship success rates are up to 98% according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Counseling is for everyone for every reason not just the worst parts of life. Yes, it can be a place to pick up the pieces. And, yes, it can be a place for couples in a great place to grow together deeper into their love for one another. Plus it’s a great place to develop as individuals. Also, you don’t have to be married or even dating for a decade to go. Building a healthy relationship doesn’t have to wait at all just to match up with stereotypes.

Maybe you and your spouse are in that middle ground. The ‘honeymoon phase is over, real life is monotonous, but you still care deeply for your spouse and family. Couples counseling seems like more of a hassle than anything else. Look at it this way, is it easier to patch up a sinking ship when it’s a few small leaks than the size of a finger. Or, when the only option is to scoop buckets out after the leak is too big to easily plug? Of course, it’s easier to do it early! Let’s talk a bit about the amazing benefits of marriage counseling and couples therapy in Southlake, TX.

Benefits of Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy for Those Not Yet Married

Increasing intimacy or develop more/better romance between them and their partner

Every person comes with their own baggage into new relationships. Those of us who think we are doing a good job, may not be able to drop some of those walls to our new partners. You may think that we are being vulnerable when we really are not. Opening up with an objective third party can help you to grow as an individual. Additionally, you can learn to open up with your partner in a way that deepens the intimacy that you are beginning to develop.

What is intimacy, though, and what makes it successful? This can look different for some people. In general, it involves feelings of emotional closeness and connectedness with another person. These are often displayed through feelings of mutual trust, acceptance, and caring. This comes extremely easy for some and harder for others. The environment you grow up in has a great deal to do with how we display this for our partners and future families. Intimacy issues are worked through via a few avenues. This includes knowing and liking yourself, trust, honesty, and developing communication skills.

Working with a counselor can help!

Working with a counselor in Southlake and your partner can help to unlock your own feelings about intimacy. This will help you to best show and receive these acts of caring. This is where the romance comes to fruition, but the five love languages can leave people out. Getting to know yourself as you and not a mold to fit into can lead to a more fulfilling and romantic relationship with your partner.

Learning how to better support day-to-day stressors

Life is full of stressors, but what can be complicated is adding another person’s stressors into the mix. Often they aren’t even the same things as one another. That dish in the sink driving you absolutely crazy may be absolutely invisible in the eye of your partner. Couple that with the stress of work, family, and friends. It’s really no surprise that people have emotional explosions with all of that going on. Not only that but how we relieve that stress is completely different for each person. For some, that means meditation and quiet times while for others it means socializing with friends and getting a little rowdy. Each has its time and place and is valid to each individual.

Couples therapy near Southlake, or via online therapy is a place for each partner to discover what they can do to support your stressors and allow the time for each of you to blow off steam. Not only that but working with a counselor can help you to come up with healthy ways to decrease the anxiety of everyday life. If you have never worked with a professional to learn these, this can be a great resource! Learning new coping strategies for life is always beneficial.

They want to improve and learn better communication skills

Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship, romantic or not. If you cannot communicate properly and effectively with your spouse, you will be having two different conversations. Thus not building a good base for your future. This could mean communicating needs to your partner, setting boundaries, or learning how to disagree in a way that will not hurt your partner.

Disagreements are inevitable, but we’ve all had productive arguments that feel different from ones that leave the issue unresolved and feelings wounded. It can make all the difference to bring some coaching to those situations. What’s odd is that people wait until years after having many arguments to seek out help. Please, do not be ashamed to come in early as a preventative! Marriage counseling and couples therapy can help to save your relationship. Especially, before it’s in trouble and allow room for an amazing and fruitful time together.

Marriage counseling and couples therapy can help you heal and understand past trauma

We would all like to come into each new relationship with fresh eyes to see our partners for who they really are. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury of marrying our first partner. Not only that, the trauma from our families can have a deep impact on how we interact with and see our partners. For some, this trauma is far more severe than others. Sexual assault and abuse are traumas that can have a severe impact on our future relationships. Having a safe place to bring this up and work through it with your partner is so important.

Counselors in Southlake can help you and your partner to work through the worst of it and find out ways to heal. Not everyone will want to go through this process with their partner first. Sometimes it is good to get an understanding of where you are with some individual counseling before shifting gears to the work done inside of couples therapy in Southlake, TX. Wherever you are in your journey with past trauma, our counselors here in Southlake empathize with you to create a safe place to move past it all.

What are some other factors that can be specific to married and long-term couples?

As a couple’s lives begin to intermingle, issues can arise that are not part of newer relationships. There are issues of money, in-laws, and so many others. Hopefully, you are blessed with lovely in-laws that you adore, but if you aren’t this is a tough one for many couples to tackle. There are a few relationships involved at that point, so seeking out help from someone qualified can be extraordinarily helpful.

Money can be a complicated topic for everyone. Budgeting is not the most fun activity in the world by far. It can lead to irritability and frustration on a good day. Let alone if you are struggling with your partner financially. Working with a counselor to better communicate. And you can learn how to talk about money. This may not entirely eliminate those hardships, but at least your partnership is attacking the problem together.

Life Changes

Changing situations hit relationships all the time. Newly married, the addition of children, career changes are just a few of the many sudden changes that affect a couple’s relationship with one another. Reacting to these situations can be unpredictable. A counselor can help to guide you through your own emotions as well as your partners. This can allow you to grow together through those changes rather than apart.

Sudden changes can trigger things like excitement. However, these can often turn into depression, anxiety, fear, and tension. These are emotions that your partner can be there for you with, absolutely. They are going through their own wave of emotions as well. Couples therapy near Southlake, TX, can allow you to feel heard and supported through whatever life is throwing your way.

Adding children to the mix

Another huge part of a partnership is parenting. When children enter the picture, it is that much more important to keep your relationship strong and healthy. Younger or newer relationships may cover the fundamentals to ensure that you both agree on the principles of parenting. Of course, you read the books or did your research on the best ways to tackle the raising of children. The real-world application of those principles, however, gets a little bit messier. Children are tiring, immense sources of stress, and almost never come at us in the ways we have planned. Parent coaching and couples counseling are great ways to tackle tough problems as they come up in your family. If you are having problems with discipline, school, or behavior issues; this puts stress on your partnership. Our experienced counselors in Southlake are prepared to lead you through both short and long-term solutions to get your family in a happier and healthier situation.

Marriage has to bend and flex with each changing season, kids being a bit part of that. At the end of the day though, you still have to find ways to connect with your partner. This goes beyond the day-to-day banter over the lives of your children. What happens when your children move out? You find out that maybe the person you fell in love with is a stranger. Now more than ever. It is really important to establish healthy intimacy from the get-go. And, it is also really important to know how to maintain that intimacy throughout the life of your marriage.

So, is marriage counseling and couples therapy in Southlake, TX for you and your partner?

The short answer is, absolutely! Everyone can benefit from checking in on your relationship on a regular basis. If your relationship is struggling or if you feel like you have the room to grow as a couple, seek out a licensed professional to help you get there. Do not let the stigma of ‘going to counseling’ keep you and your partner from having the best possible relationship!

We are also here to provide that space for people to really feel heard after years of disfunction if that is the case as well. People that we love the most can also leave the deepest wounds. Counseling in Southlake, TX is a place for you to come with your partner if you’ve tried everything else. Let’s work together to get to the root of the issues you both are facing with a viable solution for everyone. Our counselors can act as a neutral intermediary to keep things calm and not deepen the hurt.

Ready to begin counseling in Southlake, TX?

At our in-person and online practice here in Southlake, TX, we offer marriage counseling and couples therapy! Let us be the place that you and your partner decide to grow together into a more fruitful partnership. Alongside our excellent couples counseling services, we also offer services that help you and your family. What are some great pairs to our couples counseling here in Southlake, TX? It may also be important to do some individual work to accompany the couple’s work that you do with your partner. Maybe you have some past trauma that you would benefit from working through or are going through some particularly hard changes in your work life.

Other Mental Health Services The Well House Offers

There are all kinds of therapy right here to help you make the most out of your life. Here at The Well House Group, we offer individual counseling, therapy for moms, and career coaching as just a few of the complementary kinds of counseling. Whether you are looking to repair the hurt or looking to dive a little bit deeper, our practice is here to help. Let’s work together to build you a better life! If you’re looking for another therapy service we also provide teen counseling, EMDR therapy for trauma,  EMDR for peak performance, postpartum support, and academic coaching for kids. All of our services are offered in-person or via online counseling in Texas. We also offer supervision for LPC Interns and Associates looking to complete their licensure requirements with clinical supervision in Texas. Lastly, if you’re in Dallas, Justin, Argyle, Northlake, or anywhere in the state, we are ready to serve you. We look forward to working with you on your mental health journey! You can book your appointment today with us via text, phone, or email. Learn a little bit more about our counselors here on our about page.