The Family & Marriage Counseling Directory

Marriage Counseling

Long lasting, successful marriages can be hard work and it’s normal for couples to encounter rough waters at times. In fact, it’s inevitable. Having witnessed all types of couples with all sorts of attitudes, I’ve been able to identify some things that people pondering marriage counseling should consider prior to beginning the process. If you’re considering marriage counseling these points will help you and your partner get the most out of your time, effort and money!

 

Choosing a Marriage Counselor: 8 Aspects to Consider by Lisa Kift, MFT
If your marriage is in trouble – or if you’re simply looking for more effective ways to communicate with your spouse – marriage counseling can be a great option. So how does one go about choosing a marriage counselor?

Marriage Counseling Overview by Theresa Anderson
Marriage counseling is a valuable opportunity for couples who want to build a healthy and long-lasting relationship. It can be a worthwhile investment for the long-term, providing couples with the skills and strategies they need to manage life together in a healthy way.

Why Marriage Counseling?
Is your marriage in trouble? If so, then you're in the right place. The Family & Marriage Counseling Directory was designed specifically to be the best resource on the web for people in need of marriage counseling. When I created this site in 2003, there was a huge "marriage counseling" gap on the internet. If someone did a search for "marriage counseling," there were a few self-help type sites that showed up, but where were the  for our regional listings.

Getting Married? 6 Great Reasons to Get Premarital Counseling
Most couples spend more time planning their weddings than their marriages! With divorce rates at an all time high, it seems that couples are facing more challenges than ever in preserving their relationship stability. Lisa goes on to explain good reasons for premarital counseling and some of its benefits.
 

Key Steps to Success in Counseling
A well-written guide with some widely accepted principles that help lead to success in the counseling process.

Couples Counseling

Couple’s counseling is based on the premise that individuals and their problems are best handled within the context of the couple’s relationship. Married couples today feel increasingly isolated and are expected to manage their lives and families without the community supports that in the past were a primary resource in raising children and meeting family needs. Couples in our present culture are less bound by family traditions and are freer than ever before to develop relationships unlike those of the families that they were raised in.

rom The American Psychological Association.
WASHINGTON — New research examines why a person’s mental health is important for maintaining a satisfying marriage and how either partner can influence the other’s marital happiness. These findings are reported on in the October issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

 from Psychology Today
Presents David H. Olson's research on happy couples and unhappy couples. Basic types of marriages; Characteristics of good marriages; Characteristics of bad marriages; Stressed marriages abound; Marital partners; Seven distinct profiles of families; Complexity of marriage relationships; Weaknesses couples should address.

 from Psychology Today
Focuses on a study conducted by Lawrence Kurdek, a psychology professor at Wright State University regarding the quality of marriage. Status of marital quality over the four-year period after the marriage; Why marital quality declines in the seventh year of marriage; Impact of having kids on marital quality; Advice of Kurdek to couples

Relationship Counseling

Therapy traditionally focuses on solving problems and, in a conflict, there is likely to be a winner and a loser. There are couples who sigh at the thought of counseling as they doubt there is any hope for resolving their differences. While some may choose to terminate the relationship, we would much prefer a couple to stay together. With a whopping national divorce rate, new methods of approaching marital conflict are necessary.

 couples' therapist who identifies ten characteristics of successful relationships. She finds that these qualities are integral parts of a healthy relationship foundation and believes that they increase the chances of weathering the storms that life inevitably dishes out.

Family Counseling

Reveals that caregiver lays a foundation for future emotional development of children, based on a research conducted by James Elicker, an assistant professor of child development and family counseling studies. Recommended caregivers.

from The National Mental Health Information Center
This fact sheet defines attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, describes the warning signs, discusses types of help available, and suggests what parents or other caregivers can do.

Creating a healthy family system surrounds the eating disorder child with an environment that supports her recovery. All family systems have strengths and weaknesses, and many dysfunctional families do not give rise to a child with an eating disorder. Nevertheless, while a dysfunctional family does not create an eating disorder, a family that strives to be as honest and healthy as possible can help a child with an eating disorder to heal.

For Troubled Teens, Group Therapy may be the Problem; Family Therapy, Counsleing, the Solution.

Online & Phone Counseling

The Family & Marriage Counseling Directory provides access to more than just local therapists in your area.many therapists who are part of a network that provides online counseling, as well as counseling over the telephone. There are certain circumstances where such therapy is appropriate, especially if the person seeking such therapy has limited access to transportation or therapists in their area.