Spouses commonly enlist the assistance of a counselor when their marriage isn’t functioning well and is entrenched in maladaptive patterns. There are many possible reasons for this, including arrogance, jealousy, anger, poor communication or problem-solving, ill health, and third parties. Marriage counseling works with the couple-system and allows them to have a more objective view of their relationship, modify dysfunctional behavior, decrease emotional avoidance, improve communication, and promote their strengths.
Additionally, as intimacy deepens, each partner learns to take equal responsibility of future problems as they arise, becomes aware of their own contribution to the couple-system, and makes some fundamental changes in their beliefs, behaviors, and feelings. Marriages truly benefit when these gains are maintained over the long-term.