When your marriage starts showing cracks, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of asking where you went wrong and how such a thing could come to be.
It’s through asking the right questions can you start you and your significant other down the path toward recovery. The onset of depression, infidelity, a lack of compatibility…counseling and mental health therapy are resources proven to help with these issues, giving you a broader perspective on what you’re going through and helping you gain the tools necessary to patch together what brought you together in the first place. To help you get started the list below will explore all the issues a family therapist can address.
Mental Illness
Mental health can have a profound impact on your stability as a couple. Depression is a debilitating condition that can grow worse when neglected, leaving individuals in a very poor spot to address couple issues, childrearing and working. It’s thought as many as 50% of Americans with major depression don’t seek treatment. Just how bad is it? The annual cost of depression in the country — with lost productivity, healthcare and sick days combined — is around $80 billion. It’s also estimated women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression at some point in their lives.
Common symptoms of depression are feeling hopeless, listless and tired irregardless of your diet or lifestyle choices.
Infidelity
Marriage counseling is highly recommended if you’re dealing with the aftermath of an affair. These incidents create a deep gouge in years of trust and can be very difficult to heal alone, if they are healed at all. The average length of an affair in the United States is two years — according to a study provided by the Chicago Center For Emotionally Focused Therapy, research has found 50% of all couples participating in therapy recovering significantly once their sessions ended. Around 70% also saw themselves recovering noticeably within the following three months.
When you want to give your marriage another chance, therapy services can make sure it doesn’t go to waste.
Compatibility
When that spark is missing, couple therapy can help give you the language needed to communicate again. Compatibility issues can arise from infidelity, the onset of a mental health issue or just through the natural passage of time. After working with a family therapist over 90% of patients said they had much more effective tools for dealing with their depression, with additional reports of improved physical health and the ability to function better at work. Psychotherapy services can provide one-on-one sessions and group sessions to help you and your partner communicate better.
A lost spark can be found again. A psychotherapist has years of experience and can determine what’s missing in a matter of sessions.
Traumatic Situations
If you’ve been in a traumatic situation or have yet to recover from one, therapy can help you and your partner move through the healing process. The benefits of psychotherapy counseling include being given what’s known as a ‘mental health toolbox’ to use when you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression or mood swings. These include coping mechanisms, lifestyle changes, exercise routines, online resources and hobbies that promote steady mental wellness and take the edge off of bad days and panic attacks.
You’re not alone in what you’re going through. A family counseling can help you see the bigger picture.
What To Expect When Applying For Psychotherapy Services
No matter what you and your partner are going through, attending therapy sessions will prove a positive and illuminating experience. There are different types of psychotherapy available, with some putting emphasis on mental health and others on infidelity. Which one applies best to you can be done after an evaluation session. A licensed marriage and family therapist, specifically, will cost you 20% less than if you had gone with a more general psychologist. Sessions can last for a few months to a full year, depending on what you need, and it’s recommended you attend every single one to get the most out of your investment.
We all go through ups and downs. Therapy can make sure you and your partner get back on the ball again.