Illness, infidelity, sex, anger, communication,
retirement ... all can contribute to distress in marriages or other
relationships. Marriage counseling or couples counseling can help you
and your partner resolve conflicts, heal wounds, understand your
relationship better and make more rational decisions. Counseling also
can help you realize the full benefits of a committed relationship.
Also called couples therapy, marriage counseling gives couples the tools to communicate better with each other, negotiate differences, solve problems and even argue in a healthier way.
Most
marriages and family relationships aren't perfect. Each person brings
his or her own ideas, values, opinions and personal history into a
relationship. Those differences don't mean your relationship is bound
for conflict. To the contrary, differences can help people understand,
respect and accept opposing views.
But relationships can be
tested. Differences or habits that you once found endearing may grate
on your nerves after a few years. Sometimes an extramarital affair or
loss of sexual attraction trigger problems. Other times, there's a
gradual disintegration of communication and caring.
No matter
the cause, distress in a relationship can create undue stress, sadness,
fear and other problems. You may hope your troubles just go away. But
left to fester, a worsening relationship may lead to psychological
problems, such as depression. It also can create problems on the job
and affect other family members and friendships. Strengthening the Bonds
You
don't need to have a troubled relationship to seek therapy. Marriage
counseling can help couples who simply want to gain a better
understanding of each other. Couples who plan to get married or are
even thinking about it also can gain a deeper understanding of one
another and iron out differences before they seal their union.
Most
importantly, marriage counseling can help you and your partner learn
skills to solidify your relationship. These may include communicating
openly, problem solving together and discussing differences rationally.
Talking about your problems with a marriage counselor may not be easy,
but it is my goal to make you as comfortable as possible.
If
your partner refuses to attend marriage counseling sessions, you can
come by yourself. It may be more challenging to improve your
relationships when only one partner is willing to change. But you can
still benefit by learning more about your reactions and behavior in the
relationship.
Making the decision to go to marriage counseling
can be difficult. But marriage counseling can help you cope better with
a troubled relationship, rather than trying to ignore it or hoping it
gets better on its own.
As a resource, you might explore the information about marriage and relationships on the Gottman Institute site.
Family Therapy: Weathering the Storm
Your family can be your greatest source of support, comfort and love.
But it can also be your greatest source of pain and grief. A health
crisis, mental illness, step-family disagreements or teenage rebellion may threaten
to tear your family apart.
Effective family therapy
can help patch strained relationships, teach you new coping skills and
improve how your family communicates. Whether you, your partner,
a child, a sibling or a parent are in crisis, family therapy can
help each of you relate better to one another.
Like marriage counseling, family therapy is often short term. Some families, however, may require more intensive treatment. Entire families often come together in therapy
sessions, but family members may see me
individually as well. Family therapy sometimes includes non-family members, such
as teachers or other health care providers.
During our therapy sessions, you and your family members will examine your
family's ability to solve problems and express thoughts and emotions.
You may explore family roles, rules and behavior patterns in order to
spot issues that contribute to conflict. Family therapy may help you
identify your family's strengths, like working together on home projects, and
weaknesses, such as the inability to confide in one other.
My overriding goal working with families is for clients to learn
new ways to interact and overcome old problems. Making that first step
to contact a family therapist can be one of the best things
you do when your family is torn apart. Family therapy can help you heal
emotional wounds,
come to understand one another better and bring back a sense of harmony
in your lives.
To reach my office, please call (512) 372-9595.
Or simply complete and send this
brief form. All inquiries will be held in confidence. Inquiries received from this site during
the business week will be answered within 24 hours. Weekend inquiries
will be answered by the following Tuesday.
Please note: No counseling
will be provided via e-mail. Meeting with you in-person
is the most-productive way to help you achieve your goals.
Sue Legacy, ACSW, LCSW Counseling and Therapy Offices 4408 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 104 Austin, Texas 78759 (512) 372-9595 Registered domain names: LegacyCounselingAustin.com and SueLegacy.com
