Why a Relationship Therapist Is Good for Your Love Life

If you’re married or in a long-term relationship, you may frown at the idea of seeing your therapist. To you, you may think that a relationship therapist is for couples who are broken, and they try to seek help as a last-ditch effort to fix something that can’t be repaired. But relationship therapists are great for all types of relationship situations, be it mild problems, severe trouble, or even no trouble at all. If you want to keep the love going in your relationship, here’s why seeking help from a relationship therapist can be just what the doctor ordered.

It’s Like Taking a Car in for Maintenance

If you have a car, or another expensive machine, taking it to a mechanic every once in a while to assure you that everything is going fine is a smart move. A mechanic can help prevent problems before they grow too big, or assure you that everything is working fine, but give you ways to keep it that way.

A counselor or therapist who deals in relationships is like this. Going once in a while to discuss your relationship may help uncover some underlying problems, or teach you how to maintain that same energy.

It Teaches You Why You Loved Your Spouse in the First Place

Sometimes, you drift apart from your spouse. Spending time with them just doesn’t feel the same. Meanwhile, making love just doesn’t feel as passionate as it originally was. Most couples aren’t going to have that teenage or young adult passion later on in life, but there still should be more passion in your relationship. That spark of passion may be hidden under years of bickering, and a relationship counselor can help you find that spark again.

It Improves Communication

Many relationships fail because of poor communication. You wouldn’t believe how many times a couple’s relationship fell apart just because of a miscommunication. For example, if you tell your partner to wash the dishes, you may not have clarified that you wanted them done right away. The partner may take their time because of this, and you end up furious at your partner because the dishes weren’t done. Because of that, a fight ensues, and that’s another blow to your relationship.

If you’re often away from your spouse, you may use texting to communicate. With text, there’s lots of chances for miscommunications. Playful jokes may sound mean due to the lack of tone in text. Even if you try to put emojis, your point may not come across very well. A therapist can help you learn how to communicate and your spouse to interpret your communications better, and vice versa.

It’s Great Before a Big Commitment

Relationship therapy is something many picture to happen deep into a marriage, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, you may want to seek the help of a therapist before you marry. Premarital counseling is becoming more and more popular, and there’s a good reason. No matter how much you love each other, marriage is a challenge. Living together, dealing with each other’s quirks, managing finances, planning a family, the list goes on.

Premarital counseling can teach the bride and groom to be what they want out of their marriage, and how they should handle conflict should it arise.

For a Hard Time

Sometimes, couple’s counseling works well for couples who may have problems outside the marriage. If your spouse gets sick or gets their hours cut, this can be some heavy stress on your relationship. A relationship counselor may be the person who helps you keep the marriage strong whenever the world is out to get you.

Family Counseling is Helpful As Well

Sometimes, your problems with your spouse may extend to your spouse’s family, your own children, or another person. In this case, family counseling may be what you’re looking for. Family counseling is great for those family feuds, ensuring that everyone is together and well.

It Can Help End Things Amicably

Marriage counseling has a high success rate, but sometimes, the success isn’t saving a broken marriage. There’s times when you may need to end things. A counselor can help both of you end with grace and not lead to a messy divorce.

About the author, Marie Miguel

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.