Every married couple goes through a rough patch at some point in their relationship. It may be due to busy schedules or difficulty understanding each other’s emotions. In extreme cases, it may even feel like your relationship is at a dead end and all hope is lost.
However, in difficult times like these, it is important to remember that marriages are more than vows and a wedding ring; they require serious commitment and hard work. Marriage counseling is one way you can show commitment towards your partner and invest in the betterment of your relationship.
This article focuses on what marriage counseling is and how you can find a compatible marriage counselor for yourself and take charge of your relationship.
Best Marriage Counselors Near Me
Marriage counseling, also known as couples counseling, helps couples strengthen their marriage or relationship by equipping them with tools to communicate and work out their differences effectively. It helps couples express what is troubling them, speak their mind, resolve their conflicts, improve their emotional connection and rebuild their relationship.
Marriage counseling is one of the most challenging types of therapy to undertake. Some angry or hurt individuals may view their counseling sessions as a court where they can prove their partner wrong, and their counselor as a judge who will straighten out their partner. However, this is not at all what marriage counseling entails.
Marriage counselors act as neutral third parties during sessions who help both partners express their issues, complaints, and unmet needs to each other in a non-threatening and safe environment. They help couples process their emotions in a healthy manner and get closer to each other in the process.
Marriage counseling requires commitment and patience. It is not a quick and easy fix for relationship problems. It requires your time and attention and can take weeks or months until your relationship starts to improve. But the right marriage counselor can make this journey much easier, better, and maybe even quicker.
If you cannot find a good marriage counselor in your residential area or if you find traditional therapy expensive, you can always opt for online marriage counseling via reputable providers, such as ReGain. ReGain allows you to choose the therapist of your preference and take counseling sessions from the comfort of your home.
List of Best Marriage Counselors Near Me
While choosing a marriage counselor, always remember to pick someone who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). ReGain has dozens of LMFTs with years of experience in marriage counseling for you to choose from. Some of the best are mentioned below.
1. Gloria Holland, LMFT
Gloria Holland is a licensed marriage and family therapist from Mississippi, with 38 years of counseling experience. She specializes in abandonment, attachment and anger issues, intimacy problems, family conflict resolution, infidelity, and family-of-origin issues.
Her clinical approaches include Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
2. Dr. Ron Muchnick, LMFT
Dr. Muchnick has a professional experience of 25 years as a marriage and family therapist. He works with couples facing relationship conflicts, family and parenting problems, substance abuse problems, and/or anxiety/depression. He also specializes in helping couples deal with all kinds of life stressors and traumas and emotionally process everything by helping them learn positive coping skills.
His clinical approaches include Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused, Family Systems, and Client-Centered Therapy.
3. George Tyger, LMFT
George Tyler has 15 years of experience in the US army and 3 years of professional counseling experience working with a diverse range of clients. Naturally, he specializes in helping families from military background deal with the challenges and issues that come with that life.
His clinical approaches include Emotionally Focused Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Solution Focused, and Trauma Focused Therapy.
4. Karin Wiese, LMFT
Karin Wiese is a South African licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked in a wide range of multicultural settings. Her years of professional experience have equipped her with understanding and empathy for differences in beliefs and cultures.
Her specialization includes marriage counseling, working with blended families, infidelity, and families going through a divorce. Her clinical approaches include Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman, and Family Systems Model.
5. Charlotte Watley, LMFT
Charlotte Watley has 3 years of experience in marriage and family counseling and has successfully helped dozens of couples deal with issues relating to intimacy, infidelity, blended families, life changes, grief, attachment and commitment, emotions, and effective communication.
She prefers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Solution Focused, and Psychodynamic Therapy.
You can find all of the above-mentioned and many more marriage therapists on ReGain.
FAQS for Best Marriage Counselors Near Me
Cost of Marriage Counseling
Traditional marriage counseling may cost around $100 to $250 per session, depending on where you live. However, online therapy providers like ReGain provide more affordable options, including therapy subscription packages that start from $70-$80 per week. ReGain also offers a monthly, quarterly, and annual subscription plan that you can invest in according to your needs and goals.
Benefits of Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling will help you and your partner learn how to navigate through your problems as a couple and strengthen your relationship by teaching you many skills, including but not limited to the following:
- Expressing unmet needs calmly
- Active listening and validating each other’s emotions
- Effective communication
- Learning how to manage emotional responses when angry
- Learning how to set time aside for your partner to keep the spark in your relationship alive
What to Expect at Marriage Counseling
At marriage counseling sessions, you and your partner will be allowed to express your individual problems, concerns, and needs in a calm environment. The marriage counselor will not be present there as a judge, deciding in favor of one party and against the other, rather he/she will help you and your partner communicate your issues to each other in a safe environment.
Marriage counseling sessions involve active listening and validation of emotions instead of simply dismissing them. However, marriage counseling is not limited to the 40-60 minutes sessions with the counselors. In fact, most marriage counselors give couples homework tasks and assignments, such as practicing what they learned during the sessions or setting time aside for dates/intimate activities, etc.
How to Find the Right Marriage Counselor Near Me
Finding a good marriage counselor is perhaps one of the most important factors that will determine the success of your therapy.
ReGain realizes the importance of a compatible marriage counselor and asks you a series of questions regarding your preferences when you first visit their website. Based on the information you provide them, ReGain matches you with the most compatible therapists that you can then choose from.
How Long Does It Take To Get Better?
The duration of therapy depends on the nature and seriousness of the client’s problem. For some couples, marriage counseling may be effective in as few as three to four sessions, but some couples may require weeks or months to work through their issues.
Depending upon the couple’s problem as well as their commitment to marriage counseling, the counselor will decide whether the sessions will take place on a weekly or biweekly basis. All in all, marriage counseling is usually short term as most couples only need a nudge in the right direction from the counselor.
Is Marriage Counseling Effective?
Marriage counseling is extremely effective, in fact, 70% of couples receiving couples counseling report betterment in their relationship. However, it is important to remember that marriage counseling will be most effective when both partners are truly committed to working on their relationship as well as their individual selves.
Reasons to Go for Marriage Counseling:
You should consider marriage counseling if
- You have been having disagreements with your partner more often than not
- You and your partner have been having arguments regarding lifestyle choices or finances
- You have been feeling emotionally distant from your partner
- You are having intimacy issues
- You have the same fight every other day and don’t come to any conclusion
- You feel like your relationship is at a dead end
- You feel your partner is emotionally unavailable and doesn’t fulfill your emotional needs
- You or your partner having trouble dealing with recent trauma or tragic loss
- You or your partner dealing with a mental health or substance abuse problem
Who Is Present During the Counseling Sessions?
Marriage counseling typically involves sessions where both partners are present, but depending upon the situation, the counselor may ask one partner to work alone with him/her for a while.
How to Get Started?
Online therapy providers, like ReGain, have made marriage counseling easily accessible to people belonging to all walks of life. Simply clicking on ReGain will redirect you to their website, where you will be asked a series of questions regarding your personal information, reasons for seeking marriage counseling, and your counselor preferences. Based on your answers, ReGain will match you with a licensed marriage counselor. You and your counselor can then mutually decide the way your sessions will be conducted.
There you have it- it’s as simple as that! Take the next step in your journey towards a better marital life today.
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