Marriage Counseling

Marriage is a relationship given by God, designed to bring partnership, spiritual intimacy, and the ability to pursue God – together. Couples often go into marriage with very high expectations, looking forward to a life full of joy and wonderful times together.

While this is possible, and indeed part of God’s blessing for this covenant, the reality is that there will be tough times too. One flawed person in a relationship with another flawed person will never be without their conflicts and challenges – and sometimes these issues can become very difficult to navigate.

Marriage problems come in all shapes and sizes and can result from a variety of pressure points. Sometimes one spouse feels like they are putting in all the effort to improve the marriage, while the other partner remains apathetic; in other cases, both feel like they are trying their best, but their attempts seem to only make things worse.

The good news is that there is hope for even the hardest marriage situation – many couples have experienced problems that seemed insurmountable, but, given that they were committed to the relationship for the long haul, with the right help and input they were able to overcome their troubles and move forward into a stronger space.

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What is marriage counseling?

Marriage counseling can be an extremely valuable tool in helping to redeem a marriage that is on the brink of breaking up or simply in need of a boost. Many Christian marriage counselors in Saginaw specialize in marital counseling, using a Biblical approach. This means that they use similar cognitive behavioral methods employed by secular therapy while including a Christian worldview and perspective.

Marriage counseling gives couples a platform to discuss their grievances and uncover issues in a “safe space”, where their conversation is facilitated and mediated to lead to productive outcomes while avoiding unhelpful verbal exchange and arguments. A Biblically-trained counselor will employ a tried-and-trusted framework to help each spouse feel like they are being heard, and use insights gleaned from the discussion to guide the session further.

It is important to bear in mind that marriage counseling also focuses on the individual, as gaining a better understanding of who we are and why we respond the way we do is key to being able to function better in marriage and enjoy a more fulfilling relationship, both with ourselves and with our spouse.

Marriage counseling can help couples of all ages and stages – whether they’re newly married and adjusting to the changes involved, have young children, or are reaching that “empty nest” chapter of life.

Why is marriage counseling important?

Marriage counseling is important because of its numerous benefits, along with its high success rate in saving and improving marriages. According to a survey taken by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, about 98% report receiving good to excellent therapy. 97% said they got what they needed and 93% had more effective tools for dealing with marital problems.

Without any kind of external input and support, couples who are struggling tend to flounder, going around in circles with the same disagreements and impasses, and issues are left unresolved. When this happens, resentment, negativity, and a pattern of blame are entrenched, which can lead to desperation and hopelessness.

Saginaw Christian Counseling consists of marriage therapists who are highly-trained professionals, passionate about helping individuals find healing in the tough spots of their marriages and working with them until they reach a place where they are thriving, and their relationship is stronger than ever before.

There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of examples where couples have been brought to a place where they have worked through their challenges and now enjoy great levels of love and intimacy. With marriage counseling, this dramatic transformation becomes possible.

What should I expect from marriage counseling?

Your Christian marriage counselor in Saginaw will tailor your sessions according to what is needed, setting some goals and outcomes for the intervention based on your situation. While ideally, both partners in a marriage will attend counseling, you can still expect significant help and improvements in a marriage circumstance even if only one spouse commits to counseling and working on their own perceptions and responses.

Depending on your struggles, marriage counseling can be expected to help in several ways, from more effective communication and conflict resolution to developing a better understanding and appreciation for your spouse, and restoring intimacy and trust

A Biblically-trained counselor will provide clarity, by pointing you both to God’s truth. You can expect to be deeply convicted by this, provided you come to sessions with a humble, teachable heart, prepared to learn and change. You should expect them to be able to say the hard things that need to be said since without this, change isn’t possible.

At the same time, you can expect that they will treat you with compassion, understanding the complexity of the circumstance. At Saginaw Christian Counseling, you will be shown care and love, and encouraged to be brave enough to work through the issues that are plaguing your marriage. You can also expect a practical action plan from your counselor, one which will help you implement the steps necessary to move from chaotic living into a healthy, vibrant relationship.

What topics are covered in marriage counseling?

While your counselor will speak to the topics that are relevant to your unique situation, every relationship is built on key foundational elements that need to be strengthened for a marriage to be enjoyed by both partners. Given that men and women are wired so differently, they can also express themselves and their needs in a way that makes it difficult for the other partner to understand.

Communication problems are often at the heart of marriage problems, and marriage counseling can assist in unraveling misunderstandings and hurt that have crept in. Partners can be equipped with more effective communication techniques to ensure that the negative patterns are replaced.

Trust can also be an issue that comes up in marriage counseling, taking on many shapes and forms. Other topics, such as money and finances, in-laws and extended family, sexual intimacy, and parenting styles have been known to be issues that commonly lead to marital breakdown. Your counselor will be experienced in helping you navigate these issues and any others which might be causing a barrier between you and your spouse.

Next steps.

If you’ve decided that your marriage is at the point of needing counseling, congratulations! All marriages can benefit from the time invested into reflecting on how things are going, even those that are not visibly struggling. Once you have made contact with Saginaw Christian Counseling, you can get started on the process of being connected with a counselor.

It’s important that the “right chemistry” exists between a counselor and their counselees, so bear in mind that it might be a case of having one or two sessions with different therapists until a good fit is found.

The number of sessions of therapy that you attend will depend entirely on your unique situation. Some couples attend marriage counseling just for a short period of input, before continuing their work alone, while others prefer the accountability of check-ins over a longer period.

If you have reached a point where your marriage is in a stronger space and you are happy with the progress made, then you will know that the marriage counseling has achieved its goal. Bear in mind that while a counselor possesses the skills and training necessary to help you, at the end of the day, your success will relate directly to how you and your partner internalize the change needed and how you can practically put that into place, with God’s help.