Are You Worried About The Future Of Your Relationship?
Do you and your partner argue often, rarely coming to a resolution or compromise that meets both of your needs? Are you finding it difficult to communicate your feelings and desires without getting upset or losing your temper? Do you fear that you are no longer compatible with your husband or wife and that your relationship is heading toward separation or divorce? Do you question if your partner still really loves you?
Perhaps you’re distracted while at work or with the kids, fretting about ongoing conflicts, lack of intimacy, or your partner’s unreasonable behavior. You might find yourself being irritable with your loved ones, without really knowing why you feel resentment or anger toward them. Maybe you feel like giving up on your marriage, yet are frightened by the idea of life on your own. Maybe you worry that one day the fighting or silent treatment will go too far and there will be no way to save your relationship.
Living in an unhappy relationship can be a lonely, confusing and frustrating experience. You may feel too embarrassed to speak about your troubled relationship to friends or family, or be afraid that talking about your worries will make them feel even more real. Your relationship may feel like a rollercoaster, fluctuating from happiness to despair on a daily basis. You might feel uncertain about your partner’s true feelings, afraid that he or she has given up on or checked out of the relationship. Perhaps you blame one another for a traumatic life event or disagree on finances, lifestyle choices, values or parenting styles. Maybe you resolve to communicate better each morning, but somehow find yourself quickly descending into yet another yelling match. Do you wish you could just turn back the clock, reconnect with the passion and love that initially brought you together and start again?
There Is No Such Thing As Happily Ever After
If you are struggling in your romantic relationship, you are not alone. Almost every couple bumps up against challenges and experiences periods of disconnection. And, while it’s common to fumble in our relationships, society still paints an unrealistic, almost idealistic, picture of married life. Many of us believe that once we find the right person, a perfect relationship will simply fall into place. However, the truth is that there is no such thing as an easy relationship. While we all know at least one couple that has succeeded in building a solid and happy long-term relationship or marriage, no couple can honestly admit to going through life together without some period of turbulence. All relationships go through ups and downs, and it’s how you deal with these peaks and valleys that makes or breaks a partnership.
Poor communication is at the heart of most relationship struggles. Whether you’re married, unmarried, hetero or homosexual, a nuclear or blended family, ineffective communication will almost always result in relationship problems. To have a successful long-term partnership you need to be able to express yourself freely and feel heard in your relationship. When seeking relationship therapy, many couples worry that they are no longer compatible when it is much more likely that they have simply lost sight of the qualities that brought them together and need to work on establishing better communication skills. The good news is that there is help and hope to restore connection and passion to your relationship. A skilled and compassionate couples therapist can help you get to the gist of your issues, develop effective communication skills and embark upon a new, more connected path forward.
Marital Therapy Can Help Get Your Relationship Back On Track
Often, by the time a couple commits to therapy, they have been struggling with relationship problems for years. There may be a considerable amount of resentment and anger to sift through. Couples therapy provides a space for you and your partner to invest time and energy into improving your relationship. In sessions, your therapist will help you focus on establishing clear boundaries and developing effective communication strategies. You can both feel heard and understood, allowing for honest thoughts and emotions to surface freely and without fear of another destructive argument.
In couples counseling sessions, your therapist will help to identify behavioral patterns and places where communication breaks down. In addition, practical strategies will be offered to help you effectively navigate stressful or frustrating situations. Your therapist will also aim to facilitate positive interactions between you and your partner and identify your strengths as a couple, rather than focusing solely on the negative aspects of your relationship.
Through the couples counseling process, you can learn to break out of the cycle of blame, disappointment and frustration, and gain the skills you need to express your desires and emotions clearly. You can learn to respect each other’s needs and reach compromises in times of discord. By unburdening your fears and frustrations, you and your partner can put bad times behind you and rebuild a relationship focused on trust, communication and love.
After working with couples for over 30 years, we know that marital therapy works. We have helped people from all walks of life live more fulfilling lives, often after they have spent years trying and failing to overcome their relationship problems. We’ve seen significant changes early on in therapy, sometimes as soon as a couple begins to focus on the qualities that initially brought them together, what they like about each other and what they each have to learn to make the relationship work. With help, support and willingness to explore the relationship, you and your partner can learn to manage difficult emotions, develop effective communication skills, and bring joy back into your relationship.
You still may have questions and concerns about couples therapy…
“I don’t want to speak about the intimate details of our relationship with a stranger.”
While speaking to a stranger about your relationship may feel daunting, it’s a therapist’s job to help you feel comfortable in the confidential, non-judgmental setting of couples counseling sessions. Couples therapy is an opportunity for you to get your relationship back on track with the help of an impartial third person whose role is to observe your relationship and offer solutions. It’s better to be a little uncomfortable while facing relationship issues than to let problems fester and intensify over time, which can lead to a separation or divorce.
“I’m worried that I’ll be blamed for all our problems in relationship counseling sessions.”
As highly experienced, skilled and compassionate couples therapists, we always endeavor to remain impartial and fair when mediating conversations between couples. Assigning blame doesn’t help anyone, and it certainly doesn’t help resolve the issues you are dealing with in your relationship. Our goal is to create a safe space where both you and your partner can express yourselves freely and build a more satisfying relationship.
“I’m worried that our relationship is headed toward divorce.”
Without intervention and assistance, troubled relationships often end. And, while it may be upsetting to face relationship issues, seeking therapy isn’t admitting defeat. Rather, asking for help in the midst of challenge is a sign of intelligence and strength. It demonstrates that you are invested in your relationship and are making an effort to save it.
You Can Have A Strong And Satisfying Relationship
We understand that seeking therapy for relationship issues can feel overwhelming and congratulate you on taking an important step by looking up this page. If you’re ready to begin healing your relationship, we would like to help. Call 248.539.7777 today to set up an appointment at our Farmington Hills, MI or Walled Lake, MI location. We can answer any questions you have during an initial meeting in which you can relax and learn about the benefits of working with a couples therapist.