How Soon is too Soon for Couples Counseling?
Full disclosure: we're big proponents of therapy! In fact, we think every couple can benefit from couples counseling (we have!). And we're not alone... celebrity couples like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, as well as Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell proclaim the benefits of therapy for their relationship. But how soon is too soon for couples counseling?
Well, statistic show that couples wait an average of 6 years before seeking help. Six years!! That's six years of struggles, tears, begging, pleading, ultimatums, arguments, the same arguments, and arguing again. That's a lot of damage done! But usually, couples try to figure it out themselves, they get busy with work, kids, the daily grind. Or worse, they give up. Withdraw. (this is doomsday for a relationship!)
The truth is, couples could greatly benefit by seeking help long before they think they "need" it. By the time most couples consider that they "need" therapy, they are in crisis state -- facing an affair or an impending divorce -- when they've missed some relationship "warning signs" all along. Unfortunately, most couples don't work through "smaller issues" -- the ones that build over time and become the bigger, more crisis problems.
Honestly, if you're wondering how soon is too soon for couples counseling, you should probably find a good therapist NOW. Before your relationship is in greater crisis. It's a lot easier to bring a marriage down from a 4 to a 2 then to wait until the relationship is at a crisis 10 and trying to bring you and your partner from the brink of crumbling.
Here are some things that couples counseling can help with: (read more below video)
From early in life, we learn unhealthy ways of showing up in relationships. Therapy can help with this patterns.
Therapy can give you tools to work through the Four Horsemen, ways of communicating that are highly predictive of divorce.
Couples counseling can give you a safe place to talk about your sex life. money issues, and other uncomfortable topics.
Therapy can help you to communicate more deeply and intimately.
Marriage therapy can help you navigate through different stages of your relationship and major life changes.
Counseling can help with ongoing issues like chronic health conditions.
These are just a few ways that therapy can help -- and the sooner, the better! In fact, we offer pre-marital counseling to help get you off on the right foot!
But as far as answering the question "How soon is too soon for couples counseling?", we'd like to pose a question in return...
Have you and your partner suffered enough?
Have you had enough arguing? Begging? Pleading? Sleepless nights?
Then, it's time to call 813-434-3639 to schedule your appointment for couples counseling with our expert, Yiara.
And use the form below to let us know if you'd like to be kept in the loop about upcoming Couples Retreats and Intensive services with Shamon and Yolanda.
