People with common interests form or join support groups to support each other in their problems. Support groups can provide a confidential forum to air concerns and receive feedback from people experiencing similar issues, and people in unhappy relationships often seek clarity in understanding what is happening. Support groups can help members achieve healthier interactions within relationships and understand how negative feelings and actions contributes to unhappiness.
Peer Support Groups
You might choose to join a peer group to help work through relationship issues or related issues that threaten your relationship. Peer support groups meet in churches, community centers, libraries and other locations where individuals seeking to understand unhappy relationships connect with others and find emotional support. Mental Health America helps consumers locate peer support groups and recommends other resources that provide listings, including their affiliate organizations, the American Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse and the American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse.
Group Therapy
Group therapy conducted by trained mental health professionals such as psychotherapists or psychologists may provide the therapeutic support you need. The professionals encourage participants to engage with each other in ways that help them work through their issues as they learn from each other. Group sessions, which last for 75 to 90 minutes, require honesty and participation by all members. An example is the closed therapy group offered by The Relationship Institute, led by a psychotherapist, that helps participants identify and change unhealthy patterns in their relationships.
Faith-Based
Faith-based support groups combine professional psychological practices with your religious or spiritual beliefs in a therapeutic environment. Pastoral counselors, who are often trained and certified in faith-based therapies, lead support groups. Many churches provide groups like those offered by Lakepoint Church in Texas. Lakepoint offers Imago -- A New Way to Love and Building a Better Marriage groups for people in unhappy relationships or marriages. Some private pastoral counselors, like those certified by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, lead support groups.
Online Groups
Online groups exist in many variations. Online forums may be closed or visible to visitors. Membership may be open or current members may screen membership requests. You might prefer the cathartic bent of many online support groups, many of which do not function therapeutically. SupportGroups.com is an online source for support groups, including the relationship group. Visitors must register to post comments. The Experience Project hosts a group named "I Am Unhappy in My Current Relationship," where people participate anonymously at different levels, including chatting in forums.
