Three Misconceptions about Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling used to be just that…marriage counseling. It is something that used to be for two individuals (traditionally a man and a woman) that were married and were having significant issues, and ready for divorce. At one point in time, couples therapy held a stigma – and if people found out you were in marriage counseling, they assumed your relationship was significantly on the rocks. However, as the idea of relationships has changed over the years, so has the idea of marriage counseling – or commonly referred to now as, couples counseling, or couples therapy! But, because so many people think that this is something only for married people, there are other misconceptions surrounding this therapeutic practice as well! Here we will discuss the three biggest misconceptions of modern-day couples counseling!
Misconception #1 about Marriage Therapy : It is just for married couples…
The name “marriage counseling” clearly insinuates that this type of therapy is only for married couples – but that could not be further from the truth! Modern-day marriage counseling, more often referred to as couples counseling or couples therapy, is for anyone in a relationship! Individuals that are newly “coupled” or people who have been in a relationship for years – this type of therapy is for any couple that wants to improve their relationship! Couples counseling essentially seeks to improve connection and communication between individuals, and you don’t need to be married to want to improve upon your relationship! In fact, it is becoming more and more common for couples to seek counseling before getting married to make sure that they are both on the same page and expressing themselves in the most effective way possible!
Misconception #2 about Marriage Counseling: It is only for male/female couples…
Now that we’ve established that marriage counseling is actually couples counseling or couples therapy, let’s tackle the misconception that you have to be in a heterosexual relationship to benefit from this therapy! All couples can benefit from couples counseling! Our Couples therapists are specifically trained to work with individuals in all different types of relationships and of all different genders, gender expressions, gender identities and sexual orientation! We believe that all love is love! Here’s the thing…all couples sometimes struggle with communication and could benefit from working on improving their relationship! We welcome ALL couples, no matter how they identify or what communities they associate themselves with. You can learn about our inclusiveness and values that we incorporate into our work here.
Misconception 3 about Couples Counseling: It is only for couples that are in a severe crisis…
So often, people think that couples counseling is only for couples that have huge problems or in a severe crisis. While that can sometimes be the case, it is often the exception! Often, couples that seek couples therapy are couples that are healthy, and generally happy couples – but couples that may struggle with communication or small arguments that don’t get resolved. Sometimes couples seek couples counseling because they want help learning how to work through arguments/disagreements in a more productive way. Then, there are definitely couples that seek counseling when things have escalated to a severe crisis too – and that’s okay too! However, it is by no means a requirement that things be a certain level of “bad” before seeking the help of a couples therapist! The ultimate goal of couples counseling is to improve the lives of you and your partner – regardless of where the starting point is! The most important thing to remember is that couples therapy is not a contest and your couples therapist will not “pick sides” or “place blame”. Couples therapy is a safe space, and the role of the therapist is to facilitate healthy change in both partners.
We offer Online Couples Therapy in Miami, FL and Online Couples Therapy in Florida
So, if you’ve read this and are thinking that you’d like to meet with a Miami couples therapist, know we are here to help. We recognize that this is a really big step and can be one that is fairly intimidating – but know that we are here to help in any way that we can! Our team of amazing couples therapists in Miami, FL would love nothing more than to meet with you and your partner to discuss what you’ve been noticing and what you’d like to improve! We offer online counseling in Florida, so do not worry if you can not make it into an office. We are passionate about working with couples and want to help improve the lives of you and your partner! If you are seeking couples counseling in Miami, FL or online counseling in Florida – I encourage you to check out our practice and reach out to us!