Marriage & Couples Counseling
Is your marriage or relationship in trouble?
Has fighting, poor communication or distance created nagging problems that you and your partner haven’t been able to work through? Have you lost the positive feelings you had when you first met and now feel like roommates rather than lovers?
If you are like most couples in conflict, you might feel helpless to the destructive patterns taking over your marriage or relationship. The harder you try, the more you seem to hurt and damage each other in the process. Or maybe you want to deal with the problems but, because your your partner does not, the problems simply fester unresolved.
Some partners constantly break up or threaten to end their marriage or relationship because they’re in so much distress and don’t know what else to do. You might find that you’re starting to change your thinking from “I can handle it,” to the more realistic “it’s not going to fix itself.” As the solutions you try aren’t working and things keep getting worse, you’re now considering marriage counseling.
You want to feel heard, seen, and appreciated. You value your partner more than anything, and you’re willing to do what it takes to repair the relationship. If you’re looking to better communicate with your partner, if you want to bring back the feelings you shared when you first met and times were easier and happier, you’ve come to the right place.
Couples conflicts are common.
Most couples run into difficulties at some point in their relationship or marriage, and many of us don’t know how to resolve the conflict, communicate productively, and reconnect after fighting. So we just avoid the issues and think they might go away with time. We don’t say what we need to say, and we push down the resentment and pain that needs to be talked about. According to expert marriage and family counselor, Dr. John Gottman, 69% of marriage conflicts are never solved. They just continue to lurk in the background and await a future resurgence.
There are many reasons that conflict forms between couples. You may disagree on issues like parenting decisions, household responsibilities, money concerns, or sex. In addition, couples often fight about one partner’s family, or issues related to getting personal time and space. Cheating or infidelity might also have harmed your marriage and broken bonds of trust that need healing or repair. Porn use or abuse might be creating an issue or, alternatively, frequent alcohol or substance abuse.
Not only can you turn around the negative experiences within your marriage or relationship, you can experience a better connection with your partner than you’ve ever known. You can actually start having longer, more meaningful conversations that would have been far more challenging prior to couples counseling. You can enjoy the bond and connection with your partner in a daily, long-term way, and get back to feeling fulfilled and satisfied in your relationship.
Our therapeutic approach is based in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Gestalt couples counseling, and other proven modalities. Together, we listen to and consider old issues that have damaged your relationship, and work through them to relieve you of those past burdens. We look at stubborn conflict cycles, problematic communication and avoidance styles, and unconscious blocks. You and your partner will learn to identify your own patterns of conflict, and can more easily step out and repair them.
Marriage & couples counseling can restore love and trust.
We’re solution-focused and want to make sure that you’re benefitting from couples counseling in the way you intended. We check in with you along the way to make sure that you’re experiencing the progress you’ve come in for. You’ll begin to feel more settled with one another, and invite a welcome ease and trust. You will share new things with your mate knowing they’ll be there with the acknowledgment and support that you need from them.
Maybe you want to feel more sexually connected to your partner. Sexual problems often stem from deeper emotional or relationship issues that couples can’t see or fully understand. Emotional and interpersonal issues end up playing out in the bedroom as a result. Marriage counseling helps you create a more fulfilling sex life where you and your partner are better in tune on an emotional and physical level.
Our marriage counseling can also help in cases of broken trust that results from an affair or cheating. Couples counseling can help you repair and rebuild the trust that has been compromised so you can recover together.
Our practice has helped couples recognize and overcome conflict for over 20 years. With our support, you and your partner will be more open, communicative and responsive to each other and grow your relationship into the very best version of itself.
Why Marriage & Couples Counseling at Phoenix Men’s Counseling?
Phoenix Men’s Counseling’s therapists specialize in working with couples from a men’s perspective. We know how men think and work in relationships, and want to help you and your partner have the best relationship you can. We know most guys want to establish close meaningful relationships, but sometimes don’t know how to do it. We work with men like you to develop skills such as open emotional expression, communication, listening skills, and empathy to promote healthy positive changes and between you and your partner or spouse.
We work with men who shut down, get angry, or otherwise have a hard time opening up to connection, communication and contact. We know that mens’ anger often pushes their partners away from them, and that guys tend to either problem-solve, or shut down and want to be alone. In our work with men, we create a safe, supportive and trusting environment for guys to open up, and we help them to get out of their heads and be more present in their relationships.
We also work with women in couples therapy to feel connected to their husband or boyfriend, create better communication, and understand how to get through to their guy past his emotional walls.
“What can I do if my partner doesn’t want to come in for marriage or couples counseling?”
If your partner doesn’t want to come in with you, you can come in alone for individual counseling. We can talk about the ways you can help the situation yourself, and can learn to better relate to and understand your partner. Understanding your new role in the relationship can make a substantially positive impact. Your partner may choose to join once they’ve observed the benefits you’re experiencing.
“Counseling is expensive. What if I can’t spend the money on couples counseling?”
Couples counseling is an investment in time, money, and energy. But it might be a lot more expensive to divorce, separate, or battle your spouse in court fighting over your assets, and then pay for spousal or child support as a result. By investing in your relationship now, you can save time, money and energy moving forward.
One happy couple had this to say about working with us:
“You single-handedly saved our relationship. We were in a very bad place before coming here, and now we are closer than we have ever been.”
“Will marriage counseling save my marriage?”
Marriage counseling can be instrumental in helping to save marriages and relationships but, of course this is never a guarantee. There are many factors involved in whether a relationship or marriage will continue, such as the state of the relationship before you started on the divorce track, where the relationship is now, the problems between you and your partner, and whether both partners are equally committed to saving it. We will do everything we can and, if you ultimately decide that it is better for you to separate, we can help you do so amicably.
Feel great about your relationship.
Our marriage counselors really care about your marriage or relationship, and want the best for it like you do. We would love to talk and better understand your relationship’s unique needs and issues. We invite you to contact us or schedule a couples intake appointment to start the process.
Or, you can get our free download, “The Guy’s Airbag”, which can help men better navigate the difficult parts of a relationship.
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