Counseling Services

People often wonder if marriage counseling really works. We can assure you that if a couple comes to us with relationship issues and both parties want to work on the marriage, marriage counseling works! Most couples wait until they are at the breaking point to seek help, but if we could share one piece of advice with every couple just before they tie the knot, it would be to seek help before your marriage is in severe crisis.

Here is what you need to know:

• We have a team of clinicians with a variety of skills to help married couples.

• We have a reputation of success for treating the most common and the most complex marriage issues.

• We believe fewer marriages would end in divorce if couples knew how and where to get help.

• Even if you think your marriage is hopeless we would like to try to help you get to a better place relationally.

Marriage counseling can be categorized into three groups: 

1. Pre-marital counseling: The clinician works with couples who are engaged or cohabitating to prepare them for the challenges that marriage entails. 

2. Marriage counseling: The clinician works with already married couples on marital issues.

3. Crisis marriage counseling: The clinician works with the couple on issues such as infidelity, and conflict resolution, and helps the couple move away from divorce. 

Marriage counseling at Heritage Counseling & Consulting is a service provided for couples that experience frequent issues or struggles with topics including parenting, finances, sex, household responsibilities, infidelity, and more. Married couples may feel as though they are constantly arguing over the same issue without nearing a resolution and in some cases, trust is often the primary issue in the relationship and can feel strained or lost. There may also be feelings of resentment, disdain, criticism, defensiveness in a partner, or emotional “shutdown” in one or both partners depending on the situation. Heritage works with couples to create personalized strategies to overcome issues that arise and can cater to the couple's specific needs and goals according to their relationship. Our team of clinicians understands that maintaining a joyful interpersonal relationship with a spouse can be a struggle, after all, there is no rulebook to guide couples through challenging times. That is why our couples therapists work toward learning how both members in the relationship can contribute to conflict resolution and increase satisfaction. 

It is normal to feel lost or uneasy when complications arise in relationships. We value stability and consistency and do not like when that feels threatened. We need to remember that people evolve and change - we are not the same person as we were when we met our spouses, and neither are they and as our relationship evolves, we need to make sure we are making adjustments as well. 

At Heritage, we help clients address the factor(s) influencing any stagnation or hardships in the relationship and move toward a more meaningful, respectful, emotional, and overall friendlier relationship with their partner. Couples use marriage counseling the opposite way they would use the fire department. The implication behind this metaphor is that if a couple comes home to a small fire in their kitchen, they assume it can be left alone and will extinguish and go out on its own. If the fire is left alone for a long enough period, they will come to find the fire has spread to the entire kitchen and the couple will then attempt to put the fire out themselves. After unsuccessfully fighting the blaze, the entire first floor of their house catches fire and by the time they call the fire department, all the firefighters can do is attempt to control the fire to prevent it from spreading to the neighboring lots. This metaphor illustrates why it is vital to seek professional help before the fire becomes too big to manage. 

Some issues that our clinicians work to treat include: 

• Infidelity 

• Neglect

• Sex and intimacy issues

• Communication skills 

• Parenting issues

• Finances

• Apathy in the relationship

• Active listening

If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from marriage counseling, please reach out for information about scheduling at (214) 363- 2345.

Benefits of Marriage Counseling

Couples who take advantage of marriage counseling find positive results that last years afterward. Some of the common benefits reported by those who have sought out marriage counseling include:

• A neutral and non-biased look at your relationship 

• Conflict Resolution Skills

• Goal Setting and Shared Meaning

• Increased Marital Satisfaction

• A better understanding of their partner
  
  

Even couples that have experienced significant marital distress, like those who have experienced infidelity, have found benefit in working toward healing wounds through marriage counseling. By healing old wounds, couples have the opportunity to come closer and aim to renew their commitment. With a skilled therapist, couples can move past the point of resentment and plant seeds of trust in their relationship, this way they address and resolve past issues and anger, and place their focus on leading their marriage to a happier and healthier one. 

There are also some individual benefits to marriage counseling outside those of a happier and healthier marriage including: 

• Understanding yourself better as an individual

• Learning assertiveness skills, changing behaviors that hold you back

• Learning individual decision-making skills 

Marriage Counseling at Heritage

During the marriage counseling process at Heritage, your therapist will work toward getting to know you and peel back any layers to properly understand the core of the individuals that make up the relationship. One of the first steps in the therapeutic process includes working with the couple so they can become aware of the challenges in their marriage and within themselves individually. 

The first session will be longer than standard sessions at 1 hour and 30 minutes. A longer initial session allows the therapist and the couple to fully understand the presenting issues and create a treatment plan that is tailored to each couple. The following sessions are typically held weekly at a length that the clinician believes is best so that both partners may receive enough time to discuss the conditions in the relationship.

During marriage counseling, couples can expect homework and accountability, to achieve a fulfilling and rewarding marriage and learn new things about each other while nurturing an emotional connection. Our expert team of clinicians creates a uniquely tailored treatment plan for each couple in a space that is non-biased and encourages respectful and calm communication. 

If you are struggling with any of these problems, or if you are looking to build skills and techniques to enhance your marriage, you are not alone. Our team of clinicians would be happy to work with you and your spouse to help you learn and grow so your relationship can thrive. Take a look at our team of clinicians and contact us for more information and to schedule an initial consultation at (214) 363-2345.