Wednesday, 25 March 2009

Marriage Counselor May Help Your Relationship

Until the late 20th Century, your marriage counselor might have been a sibling, a parent, a close friend or your pastor. In recent years, mental health counselors and communication therapists have extended their services to help decrease the extremely high divorce rates.

The latest figures estimate that roughly 40% of all marriages end in divorce, which has opened up the doors for licensed counselors. While not every marriage is salvageable, many couples report that the "mutually agreed upon chance to start over" led to a number of significant improvements, both in habits and in attitudes.

Exercise care when choosing a marriage counselor. Not all marriage therapists are licensed, certified, or specializes in couples counseling for marriage. Most states mandate that licensed therapists have a master's or doctoral degree, graduated marriage training and have gained credentials from the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, so ask about these things when calling around.

You may be able to get recommendations from your health insurer, your physician, local clergy or friends. Before attending a session, you'll want to find out the cost and what's covered by health insurance, as well as the duration and frequency of the sessions. Find out how many sessions you're expected to attend and what happens if you need to cancel or reschedule.

The outcome of visiting a marriage counselor depends very much upon your chemistry with the counselor, as well as your firm resolve to improve. Sometimes your partner may refuse to come with you. In that case, you may still benefit from learning more about your relationship, your feelings and your reactionary pattern of behavior. Sometimes it just takes one person to break the cycle of negativity in your home.

Regardless of whose fault the initial controversies were, it often only takes one committed person to end the cycle of drama. Counseling for couples can cost anywhere from $45-$200 per hour, with an average cost of $100; however, when compared to the $1,500-$30,000 for a divorce, it's chump change for years of bliss and better understanding.

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