When couples think of relationship counseling, their minds might go into panic mode. For some, counseling is a sign that their relationship is doomed to fail. Others might see it as a waste of time that doesn’t work. However, being proactive about fixing your relationship is the key to making it work.
Relationship Counseling: When Is It Time?
Avoiding the “point of no return”
Most couples like to think that they can handle their issues on their own. After all, it’s their relationship; they don’t need “outsiders” to get involved, right? However, what this means is that couples will try to fix things alone until they can’t anymore. In effect, they cross the point of no return without even realizing it.
To avoid crossing this point, it’ll require some humility and willingness to put pride aside. So what if someone else helps you with your relationship? What’s important is that you’re taking steps to fix things. In the end, willing to accept you need help is a much smaller price to pay than potentially losing your entire relationship.
Being proactive
In life, you’re generally encouraged to be proactive about the essentials. You go to the doctor for check-ups, you go to the mechanic for tune-ups, etc. So why not be proactive about your relationship? Instead of letting things build up, why not take the same kind of proactive approach here as well?
Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to go to relationship counseling for every disagreement. There’s a fine line between “normal” arguments versus unhealthy ones. Ultimately, it’ll take some self-reflection through your own sense of happiness and beliefs to know when that threshold has been passed. If things escalate too far, however, then you might want to reevaluate your relationship as a whole.
What really is counseling?
On paper, relationship counseling is a way for you and your partner to address your issues together. You both can figure out what is the root of your problems and get strategies for how to fix them. You’ll learn what each of you need and how to best fulfill those needs.
However, it’s also a call to action. It’s a way for you and your partner to learn and grow in a way that will also help your relationship. It’s not an admission of failure, but rather a way to say “we are worth it”. Relationship counseling is a small investment to make to preserve your relationship, and is worth putting aside one’s pride for.