HOW TO BRING UP MARRIAGE COUNSELING WITH YOUR PARTNER

How to Bring Up Marriage Counseling with Your Partner

10/13/2021

By Encompass Outreach Group

There are a few subjects that can be incredibly difficult to bring up with your partner, including finances, planning for a child, issues with your sex life, and more. But, there’s one subject that may be the most difficult thing to talk about in a marriage: marriage counseling. If you are thinking about marriage counseling, it most likely means that your relationship is struggling from some issues like the ones listed above and those issues have gone unresolved because they are hard to talk about. Here are some tips for bringing up marriage counseling with your partner and working toward fixing your marriage.

Make a Plan - The first step you should take when bringing up marriage counseling with your partner is to make a plan. Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. It’s important to voice your concerns in a calm, collected manner. You also shouldn’t blindside your partner with this conversation. Tell them you’d like to sit down to have a conversation with them and set a specific time to do so. This will help to make sure they are in the right mindset and will be attentive to everything you say.

Focus on What’s Working in Your Relationship - When you talk to your partner about the potential of marriage counseling, don’t simply focus on the negatives in your relationship. Instead, make it clear that you love the things that are working in your relationship and you want to try to make the problematic areas like that as well.

Listen to Your Spouse’s Thoughts - Be sure to listen to your spouse’s reaction to your proposal attentively. Really try to understand where they are coming from and make them feel heard. This is something that you should always do when talking to your partner, but when you are talking about marriage counseling it is vital that you listen to their concerns and talk to them calmly about how you think marriage counseling would benefit the both of you.

Make It a Joint Effort - It will be hard to convince your partner to go to marriage counseling if it is a one-sided proposal. If you bombard them with different studies, therapists, books, etc. they may feel attacked and even less likely to agree to seek out counseling. The most important part is to make sure you and your partner are on the same page and then make those important decisions together, so it is a joint effort.

Go on Your Own - If you’ve tried calmly communicating your thoughts to your partner and they are still resisting marriage counseling, you can go to counseling on your own. While it may seem like going to marriage counseling alone doesn’t make much sense, you can still receive the benefits of talking to a relationship expert about your marriage and things that you could do to improve the situation.

Encompass Connection Center helps couples learn how to resolve issues and create fulfilling, productive relationships. For many couples, those issues can stem from a lack of communication. Just like any problem, though, communication issues can be fixed. We offer a free relationship assessment to determine your relationship’s strengths and potential threats. For more help, look into our RINGS Experience, which includes marriage strengthening exercises and a coaching model to help build real intimacy and growth skills.

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12 Comments

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Braden Bills link

12/20/2021 10:40:50 am

My friend has been having a hard time with his relationship with his wife. It makes sense that trying to understand the way that she thinks would be beneficial! I'll make sure that he knows to look into marriage counseling, because that seems like a good way to have someone who can help bring them back together.

Lavern Nissley

12/20/2021 01:45:13 pm

Great idea, Braden! Please refer your friend our way, and we'll help him explore options. Thanks for the comment!

Taylor Hicken link

2/8/2022 01:00:59 am

I do agree when you shared that it is important to make it clear that you want to work things out in your relationship. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is having issues with her husband and she desperately wants to save their marriage. I will suggest to her find a reliable place that can offer marriage counseling for them.

rachel frampton link

3/21/2022 03:48:34 am

My husband and I are going through a rough stage, which is why we're thinking of consulting with a counselor. Thank you for sharing here as well the importance of discussing everything with the chosen therapist. I also agree with you that it will be smarter to ask about the fees too.

John Carston link

5/27/2022 05:28:16 am

I'm glad that you talked that planning is the best way to start the process. My best friend told me the other day that he was having issues with his wife because of major conflicts affecting their marriage, and he asked if I had any idea what would be s the best option to resolve it. Thanks for this informative article, I'll be sure to convince him to discuss their problems with trusted marriage counseling for proper treatment.

Eli Richardson link

9/21/2022 04:53:58 pm

Over the past months, my wife and I have been fighting a lot, and I'm worried about our marriage seeing the final line. That's why I think it'd be good for us if we tried counseling, and your tips will help me know how to suggest it. I appreciate your advice on how to talk about marriage counseling with my loved ones without attacking them.

BFLC link

10/17/2022 02:40:09 am

Helpful and interesting guide that couples should follow through, Thanks for sharing.

relationship counseling link

10/24/2022 10:34:50 am

If you're considering marriage counseling, it's important to broach the topic with your partner in a sensitive and respectful way. You'll want to explain why you're interested in counseling and what you hope to gain from it. It's also important to emphasize that you're committed to your relationship and that you're willing to work together to address any challenges.

If your partner is hesitant about counseling, you can try to assuage any concerns they may have. You can explain that counseling is a confidential process and that it can be very helpful in addressing relationship challenges. You can also point to successful marriages that have benefited from counseling. Ultimately, it's important to be understanding and supportive of your partner's feelings and needs.

Victoria Addington link

11/23/2022 04:35:10 am

It was fascinating to know that marriage counseling focuses on the problematic areas of your relationship. My friend is having conflicts with his partner. I think it's best for them to seek guidance from a couples therapist to save their relationship.

Iris Smith link

12/5/2022 03:25:35 am

Thank you for expressing that when discussing marital therapy, it is critical that you listen to their worries and speak gently to them about how you believe marriage counseling will help both of you. My acquaintance and her spouse had a disagreement. She wishes to seek marriage counseling. I will also advise her to listen to her husband's opinions and worries regarding marriage counseling.

marriage counseling link

12/12/2022 05:32:18 am

If you're considering marriage counseling, it's important to have a serious discussion with your partner about the possibility of attending counseling sessions together. This can be a difficult conversation to have, but it's important to be honest with each other about your thoughts and feelings. If you're both open to the idea of counseling, then you can start looking for a therapist who specializes in marriage counseling. Once you've found a therapist, you can schedule an appointment and start working on improving your relationship.

Tex Hooper link

12/20/2022 08:53:39 pm

I appreciate what you said about making sure you plan out the approach first. My wife and I have been struggling and we need help. I'll have to ease into the concept of doing any kind of counseling.

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