You may have had a friend going through a rough marriage, but after a bit of couples counseling, they seemed to have a better and stronger relationship. This may have moved you to seek couples counseling for you and your spouse.
Unfortunately, you don’t make the same kind of progress. Your marriage may have even gotten worse since the start of your counseling.
Why would counseling fail to cure your marital troubles? Here’s what you should consider:
Couples counseling doesn’t guarantee a happy ending
The job of a couples counselor is to provide a safe and neutral environment for married couples to work out their issues. What exactly that means is going to be as unique as the people involved.
For some couples, a “good” result may actually be the realization that they simply no longer have the same ideals, goals or values in life. One party may realize that they are the only person engaged in fixing the relationship, or one party may decide that they’re simply better off on their own.
Couples counseling can be beneficial to many people. It takes a lot of work, honesty, time and sometimes grief to mend a marriage. The only thing is, that couples’ counseling can’t promise a better marriage. It only promises a space for both sides to better explore their feelings.
If your spouse has checked out from your marriage long before you started couples counseling, then they may not be putting in the work to stay together. You may need to know your options when seeking to land comfortably after the love in your marriage ends.