Marriage counseling, also known as couples therapy and relationship counseling, helps couples work through their specific relationship issues. Thriveworks marriage counseling in Washington, DC is led by licensed professionals — often licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) — who are experts in their field and best-equipped to help couples. Some examples of common focuses within Marriage counseling include:
- Jealousy
- Trust issues
- Infidelity
- Opposing values
- Different visions for the future
- Disagreements in parenting
- Lack of trust
- Financial distress
- Sex issues
Marriage counseling works by helping couples identify and better navigate their unique challenges. Following an initial assessment of the couple in terms of strengths and needs, the therapist would then discuss their therapeutic goals and any possible approaches or ways of working together as therapist and couple.
Couples attend sessions together, whether they meet in person or by video. In addition to regular marriage counseling sessions, each partner may also be asked to attend a few individual sessions to supplement their progress. This will allow their counselor to get to know each individual better, assess each of their personal needs, and develop the very best treatment plan moving forward.
On average, couples attend marriage counseling for 12 weeks. However, marriage counseling may last longer or shorter, dependent on the couples’ needs, the challenges they’d like to work through, and the pace of their progress. Marriage counselors and therapists at Thriveworks in Washington, DC work with their clients to create goals, decide on ideal timelines, and establish treatment plans.
Marriage Counseling and Therapy in Washington, DC—Counselors and Therapists
The little things can make or break a marriage. Everyday interactions matter—both for throwing a marriage off track and for getting it back on track. When spouses are willing to take an honest look at their relationship and work toward positive change, a marriage therapist can often help them improve their relationship. There are never guarantees in relationships, but there is help.
The marriage therapists at Thriveworks Washington, DC have worked with many spouses, and we offer marriage counseling because we know that every relationship needs support during “good times and bad, in sickness and health, for rich or poor.” So, if you think that your marriage could benefit at all from working with a trained professional, reach out to Thriveworks Washington, D.C. to schedule an appointment.
Should We Start Marriage Therapy?
When spouses are struggling to connect, they may wonder if now is the time to reach out for help. Often, they are asking if others go to marriage therapy for similar issues, and the truth is that the decision to start counseling is very personal. There is no wrong reason to start, but there is no right reason either. It is more important that one or both spouses are ready. If you are asking if marriage therapy can help, that may be a sign it could. Listing every reason spouses begin counseling would be impossible, but a few examples of issues that have led some couples to start therapy include…
- One or both spouses have cheated: Adultery is often a crisis point for a marriage. Some spouses decide to part ways after one or both have cheated. Some spouses want to try to repair the harm and rebuild trust. Whatever the future may hold after an affair, a marriage therapist can often guide the process toward a healthy resolution—whatever resolution may mean to each spouse.
- Tension is strangling the relationship: When spouses respect their differences, resolve conflict, and move forward, disagreements and conflicts can be bonding experiences. However, when difference or disagreement escalates, spouses can begin to attack each other. They may feel as if tension will destroy the relationship. Marriage therapists often work with couples, teaching them conflict resolution skills.
- Apathy is strangling the relationship: Just as too much tension is a problem, so is no conflict. Apathy in a marriage can signal several things. It may mean that one spouse’s perspective is being dominated by the other’s. It may also mean that one or both spouses are weary of conflict and they have given up. Neither are good signs for the future of the marriage, but both may be corrected if the spouses are willing to reach out for help. Marriage counselors often work with spouses to identify any problems that could be fueling the apathy and work through them.
- Spouses are living parallel, not interconnected, lives: Healthy spouses are busy, but they prioritize connection. When spouses are living parallel lives, it is often a red flag for an intimacy problem. Intimacy is simply anyway spouses connect in a meaningful way. It can be emotional, physical, social, sexual, spiritual, and more. When intimacy is off, the marriage may struggle. Marriage therapists often help spouses reconnect.
Schedule a Marriage Therapy Session at Thriveworks Washington, DC
Are you ready to reach out for help? Maybe you recognized something on this list of issues that bring spouses to marriage therapy. Maybe you didn’t. Everyone has their own journey. If the next step on your journey is to start marriage counseling, Thriveworks Washington, DC is ready to help. We have appointments available.
When you contact our office, you may have your first appointment the following day. Our clients lead busy lives, so we offer evening and weekend sessions, and we’ll try to get you in as soon as possible, often within the first week of your call. Additionally, we accept many different insurance plans. Let’s work together on your marriage. Call Thriveworks Washington, DC today.
