Getting married is like a new sequel in your story. There’s a lot that’s going to happen – from living with your partner to managing the household.
Seeking marriage counselling in Singapore can not only help you deepen your relationship but also teach you how to handle daily conflicts and unstable emotions that we may not pay much attention to.
In this article, let’s explore the 7 most common benefits of marriage counselling.
Benefits of Marriage Counselling
1. Improve Communication
Do you know the crux of marriage issues?
It’s a lack of mutual and honest communication.
During marriage therapy, you can learn how to:
- Navigate misunderstandings with your spouse
- Articulate your thoughts without using accusatory language
- Think from a practical perspective
- Introspect and reflect on your conversations
Therapists may use tools like miracle questions from solution-focused brief therapy to help you with the above.
For example, the therapist may ask you what your marriage miracle looks like. Based on your vision, they will use scientific tools to help you and your spouse work towards them.
2. Resolve Conflicts
The second most important benefit of seeking support is resolving conflicts.
Although learning communication techniques can help resolve conflicts, sometimes, specific, personalised therapeutic tools are needed.
During marriage therapy, the professional will:
- Maintain a non-judgemental and safe space
- Provide empathetic support
- Provide unconditional positive regard to both you and your spouse
- Steer the conversation in a healthy direction
Not only can you resolve conflicts, but the marriage counsellor may also focus on specific individual issues like depression or anxiety that may impact your marriage.
3. Become Supportive
Being supportive in a marriage means:
- Learning to love each other even through individual differences
- Actively listening to each other’s concerns and preferences
- Making space for your spouse even when they are in the wrong
- Providing unconditional love
Marriage counselling Singapore can help you with the above. In fact, research shows that 70% of couples who seek marriage counselling become closer and more supportive towards each other.
4. Improve Sex Life
Other than emotional needs, as we discussed above, married couples may also want to improve their sexual intimacy.
Some key benefits of seeking marriage counselling to improve sex life include:
- Improving sex drives
- Learning to understand and respect each other’s sexual preferences and needs
- Navigating pain during and after sex
- Developing sexual attraction towards your spouse
- Exploring safe and consensual options like ethical non-monogamy
5. Rebuild Trust
Trust in a marriage can break in several ways – maybe your partner didn’t inform you about their work trip, or perhaps you’ve experienced something painful like infidelity.
Regardless of the severity of the issue, marriage counselling can help you:
- Recover and heal from extramarital affair
- Navigate dishonestly and white lies
- Come up with practical solutions for any financial issues you may be facing
- Deal with gaslighting or a narcissistic partner
6. Manage Negative Emotions
In addition to communication and conflicts, you may also want to learn how to manage your emotions individually and as a married couple.
Marriage counsellors may use therapeutic tools from emotionally-focused therapy or the Gottman method to teach you how to:
- Control your anger or frustration and channel these emotions in a positive way
- Express your emotions in a gentle and safe environment
- Reduce mood swings related to marital problems
- Share any feelings of regret, sadness, or disappointment with your spouse
7. Deepen Connection
At the end of the day, the most important thing in a marriage is for the couple to feel closer to each other.
This is possible through marriage counselling.
Learning practical tools can help you improve the overall bond with your spouse.
If you’ve had a long marriage, sometimes, it can be common to neglect your spouse or dismiss their feelings. Or vice versa.
Through marriage therapy, you can learn to prioritise each other again and notice what you may have missed previously.
Counselling can help you reignite the connection that you may have felt when you first met your partner.
Takeaway
If marriage is a sequel to your life, you can write the story just how you like it.
Seek marriage counselling to improve communication, resolve conflict, manage emotions, ignite your sex-related activities, and deepen overall connection.
If your partner hesitates to try therapy, talk to them about the benefits you may have learnt through the article. Try to connect with other couples who are in therapy and have a conversation about seeking professional support.
Marriage counselling can play an important role in strengthening your relationship.
