If you think that your relationship with your spouse is strained and not as healthy as it should be, you should not allow it to worsen because you may end up planning for separation. You must therefore opt for couple’s counseling to prevent such things from happening. Not only that, counseling will help you and your spouse in bringing suitable changes to each others behavior, attitude and activities so that both of you can have a healthy relationship with each other. But, only if you know that your marriage is in trouble, you will take this action. This means that you should know the signs that indicate that you need such a counseling.
Signs that indicate that you need couple’s counseling
Partner suggesting counseling
If your partner opines that both of you should go for couple’s counseling, you should take it seriously. In fact, since the suggestion emanates from your spouse, you can conclude that all is not well with your marriage. You may not be aware of the undercurrents that have been there but, your partner may have understood the situation. If you do not pay cognizance to the suggestion or if you ignore it, you may allow the relationship to sore further. So, you must pay heed to the suggestion and opt for couple’s counseling.
Absence of sex in the relationship
If there is no sex between you and your spouse, you can conclude that the marriage is heading towards trouble. Intimacy may be completely absent in a sexless relationship. You must recollect the past and see how it was when you had emotional closeness with your spouse. That type of emotional closeness was possible only because there was sexual closeness also. This means that if you want your relationship with your spouse to be secure, there should be sexual closeness also. You should therefore go for couple’s counseling to get back the intimacy that has been lost.
Unwillingness to expose your vulnerable needs
If you are unwilling to express your vulnerable needs to your spouse and if your spouse also feels the same way, you may be close to disconnection. The relationship may still be there but, it may be heading towards separation. This is also a strong sign that shows that you need couple’s counseling.
Infidelity
If you or your spouse have an affair and if it has been exposed, then, separation may almost be certain. But, you or your spouse may repent for whatever that has happened and may want the relationship to continue and become normal. Even in this context, couple’s counseling becomes necessary.
Looking for comfort from others
You or your partner may seek the help of others such as friends or other family members when there has been a prolonged strain in the relationship. This means that you or your partner is unwilling to discuss the problem with each other. This is another sign that reveals that you should get counseling.
Fantasizing about others
When you start fantasizing about others, this means that you are slowly losing interest in your partner. This also indicates that you are mentally ready to cross the ‘Red Line’ if there is an opportunity. This may not happen if your relationship with your partner is good and secure. Before things go out of your control, you must go for couple’s counseling.
Bad fights
If you have a bad fight with your spouse and if the fight prolongs for a protracted period, you must immediately go for couple’s counseling.
A competent counselor will facilitate open communications between you and your spouse and make sure that a healthy relationship is re-created. The main benefit of couple’s counseling is that you can very soon get back the normal relationship with your spouse.