Marriage can be challenging. In addition to the pressures of everyday life--like paying the mortgage, negotiating in-law issues and dealing with work--people come into a marriage with different ideas and experiences that don't always mesh. Marriage counseling can give couples the tools they need to successfully navigate the often complicated terrain of a lifetime commitment.
Improved Communication
Though it can be hard to open up to your partner about your feelings, especially if they are negative, marriage counseling offers a safe, controlled place to do just that. Marriage counseling can give you the tools you need to express your feelings to your partner in a clear, non-confrontational way. A counselor can also help you learn how to really hear what your partner is saying, making your communication more effective and more productive. Improved communication leads to improved intimacy, which can increase your relationship's longevity and happiness.
Improved Health
A happier marriage is good for your health, too, according to two studies cited in "Psychology Today" magazine. In one study--conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm--women who said they were unhappy in their marriages were three times more likely to have repeat heart episodes than women in happy marriages. In the second study, led by a psychiatrist at Toronto Western Hospital, people who said they had happy marriages also had lower blood pressure than people who said their marriages were stressful or unhappy. The health benefits extend to other members of your family, too: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, children who grow up with two happily married parents are more likely to be healthy than children who grow up with unhappy or divorced parents.
Improved Finances
Marriage counseling can teach you more effective ways to deal with money issues in your marriage. Since people frequently come to marriage with different financial habits, priorities and experience and money can be a hot-button issue, learning how to work together financially is an important part of a healthy marriage. In the end, a healthy marriage may also increase your bottom line. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families says that couples in happy marriages are more likely to build wealth than non-married or divorced couples.
