When a marriage is going well, it can seem like there is nothing better in the world. The birds seem to tweet a bit louder, the flowers smell sweeter . . . you get the picture. However, when things go south in a marriage, it can be a bit like hell on Earth.

The reason why marriage can be such a rollercoaster ride is that being married to someone necessarily involves sharing a lot of different parts of ourselves at once. There is the financial part, the friendship part, the romantic part, the sexual part, and even the part involved with raising the kids.

This is why, when things are good, each part is playing in harmony with the others and it can sound like a veritable symphony. But, when something goes very wrong in the marriage, it is as if the entire orchestra is playing a different song – badly.

When marriages sink to this level and things are really going poorly, many married couples turn to counseling as a way to get through it. Counseling is a wise move for couples who want to get through the hard times. However, sometimes it can feel like counseling has been dragging on for weeks or months without much progress being made.

If you are wondering, “How long should a couple go to marriage counseling?”, here are 5 insights that can help you get a better handle on what to do next:

1. Marriage counseling is a time-tested technique for working through marital issues:
There is no doubt that counseling has helped millions of couples work through their marital problems. There is something very useful about having a trained third party in the room with you as the two of you talk through your issues.

2. Every marriage counselor has a different style:
Of course, counselors are people, too. Every counselor has a different personal style (and personality). And, there are various schools and methods under which each counselor has studied. This all means that, essentially, a style that works for one couple may not work for another couple.

3. The duration of your counseling is related to four main factors:
So, how long should you continue to go to marriage counseling in order to start seeing results? The answer depends upon four factors: 1. the counselor’s style (see above), 2. the counselor’s skill level, 3. the willingness of both spouses to try to resolve your marital issues, and 4. the severity of your issues.

4. You need to take control over how many sessions you should attend and how fast things should progress:
The most important thing is to take an active, rather than a passive, approach to your counseling sessions. You are not obligated to continue to work with any given counselor. If you feel that things are not progressing fast enough, voice your concern to your counselor.

5. Do not be afraid to seek out alternative sources of help:
If you find that the counselor is unresponsive to your concerns, you should immediately quit them and find another one to work with. Life is too short to continue working with a counselor that is ineffective, unresponsive to your (and your spouse’s) needs, or both.

Take these 5 insights into account as you determine how long you should go to marriage counseling.

Author Bio: Get your troubled marriage back on track with expert relationship advice from someone who has saved thousands of marriages at: Smart Alternative To Marital Counseling.

Category: Marriage
Keywords: How Long Should A Couple Go To Marriage Counseling,5 Insights on marriage counseling