Questions to Ask During Marriage Counseling 

Marriage Counseling

Attending a counseling session together with your spouse can be an intimidating thought. However, if you feel that your marriage is not in a stable or healthy state, counseling services are worth considering. As a certified Bethesda marriage counseling therapist like one at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates can tell you, many married couples turn to counseling to seek solutions to their issues, and many have experienced positive results from it. You are encouraged to ask many questions when you meet with a therapist so that you can make the most out of your sessions. 

What topics can we discuss during a session? 

For people who are new to marriage counseling, it can be overwhelming to have to share many intimate details about your marriage. Asking your therapist what topics that you are free to discuss can be helpful for you to figure out where to start. Having a basic idea of what issues and topics to first address will allow you to set a trajectory for your sessions and identify goals you want to achieve together with your spouse. 

Do I have to discuss a topic that I don’t want to talk about?

There may be certain topics that you will not want to discuss or will not initially feel comfortable talking about in detail. Your therapist will never force or pressure you to discuss something that you are not ready to talk about. When they learn more about the root of your issues, they will provide you information and suggest exercises you can take that will help you reflect on your feelings and thoughts so that you can better express them whenever you are ready to discuss that particular topic. 

What is your experience working with married couples? 

Whether it’s difficulty living in different locations, difficulty co-parenting, or in-laws that do not get along, there are many scenarios that a therapist is familiar with and has helped couples navigate. Ask the therapist about their particular experience counseling couples. What kind of results have they achieved? What percentage of couples that they counseled were able to resolve their issues? It is important to understand the outcomes that the therapist has accomplished to decide if they are suitable for you. 

How much experience have you had with marriage counseling? 

Some therapists do not have much experience with marriage counseling and instead mainly practice individual therapy. If that is the case with your therapist, you may want to consider working with a different one because they likely do not have the particular skill set to help you and your spouse. Marriage counseling requires a very different approach than individual therapy, so you need to meet with a therapist who possesses the skills to assist you. 

Marriage counseling may be the appropriate solution for you and your spouse if you want to repair your relationship and do not want to file for divorce. For more information about how you and your spouse can benefit from marriage counseling services, set up a consultation with a certified therapist now.