Marriage Counseling in Grand Rapids
What is Marriage or Relationship Counseling?
A generalized idea of marriage counseling is when a professional works with two people who are in a substantial and intimate relationship. Although it is commonly called “marriage counseling” Sollars & Associates’ relationship counseling in Grand Rapids does not only apply to those who are married or engaged to be married. It can be beneficial to any couple who might want to improve their relationship with one another. Relationships play an important part in people’s lives from the very beginning when we begin to form relationships with our parents. Taking care of the relationships in our lives is just as important as taking care of ourselves when it comes to mental health. More times than not, individuals are reluctant to therapy and put off coming in until the issues have escalated far more than they needed to.
Reasons for Couples Counseling
Seeking marriage counseling or “couples therapy” does not mean that you have a bad relationship at all, rather it means you want to work towards strengthening your relationship with your partner. There are many reasons that individuals might come in for Relationship or Marriage Counseling including some of the most common listed below.
Trust Concerns: Trust is a huge factor in relationships and mistrust can stem from many things such as previous deceit or infidelity. If not rebuilt, lack of trust, can lead to many more problems down the road. No matter the reason for the trust concerns it is important to discuss the feelings around this mistrust with your partner to overcome them and allow the relationship or marriage to grow.
Communication: Communication is also very important in any kind of relationship and in many cases can make or break a healthy one. If you and your partner find yourselves talking in a negative way, arguing more than usual, or simply not talking at all then marriage counseling in Grand Rapids may be beneficial to you. Our Grand Rapids location has amazing marriage, relationship and couple counselors who can help you enhance your communication skills to help your relationship grow.
Affection Concerns: Lack of both emotional affection such as saying, “I love you” and physical affection such as kissing are common problems seen in couples who seek relationship or marriage counseling. Sex also plays a large role in relationships and is often a topic of concern for partners. There are several ways that sex can negatively impact a relationship such as one partner having lower sexual drive than the other, one partner having a sexual disorder, or simply just wanting different things when it comes to sex.
Relationship Counseling Approaches
The professional marriage counselors at our Grand Rapids Office take a variety of different approaches to help individuals work towards achieving a healthy and happy relationship. These are only some of the many approaches that can be taken in Relationship Counseling:
- Emotionally Focused Therapy – Which focuses on how partners process their emotional experiences and how couples interact with each other.
- Behavioral Couple Therapy – Is an approach that may be taken which focuses on problem-solving skills, communication skills, and negotiating behaviors.
- Couples Counseling – Which teaches couples coping strategies and to think of positive aspects rather than only negative aspects.
If you feel you and your partner could benefit from Relationship or Marriage Counseling in Grand Rapids, give our Grand Rapids office a call today! We know that every couple, relationship, and marriage is different, and we are here to help you grow into a positive and happy relationship today!
