Marriage and family counseling

Conflicts are part of everyday life in any relationship. Ups and downs are quite normal and occur in all partnerships. It becomes difficult when couples are unable to talk to each other about their own needs, pent-up frustration or possible disappointments.

If everyday life is increasingly characterized by disputes or you feel that you are distancing yourself further and further from your partner, then professional marriage and family counseling can be a helpful support. There are free counseling services offered by the state and churches that you can turn to.

A partnership means ongoing relationship work. Especially when the children are still small, everyday life is often exhausting: too much work and too many obligations, too little time for hobbies, friends and pleasure. And often too little time for togetherness. This puts every couple relationship to the test.

Typical signs of relationship conflicts can include. be:

• Fights and frequent quarrels over trifles
• Feelings such as frustration, disappointment, anger and injustice
• Retreatment of one or both partners
• A lack of willingness to talk
• Little communication between the couple.

If it no longer goes well over a long period of time, there is a need for action. This does not always have to mean separation. Some couples simply need to learn to talk to each other again, really listen to each other and understand each other's needs. Perhaps the necessities of everyday life have just made you forget what it is that binds you together. It can be well worth it to give the partnership a chance to find out where it hangs and what ways there are to give the relationship a good basis again.

Marriage and family counseling can help couples improve their relationships and resolve conflicts. The trained professionals offer support in overcoming challenges and problems that can build up over time in a relationship or in a family.

The counseling offer can be helpful in various life situations, for example in:

• Difficulties in communicating with each other
• Conflicts in the partnership
• Conflicts in the family
• Problems in dealing with the children
• Stressful life events such as illness or loss of a loved one.

On their own, conflict-laden issues are usually difficult to clarify. All too quickly, there is the danger of finding themselves again in the entrenched dispute patterns. With the guidance of a trained professional, experience has shown that it is easier to address difficult issues. Seeking support from a marriage and family counseling center can be a good first step in getting back into the conversation.

Marriage and family counseling is usually provided by qualified professionals such as psychologists, social workers, or couple and family therapists.

Good advice is always open-ended. The people seeking advice alone determine where the journey goes. They are not pushed in any direction.

• First you make an appointment, either online or by phone.
• In the initial meeting, you explain what your concern is. Together you find out what expectations you have of the consultation.
• You agree with the specialist the framework about goals, ways and desired results of the counseling process.
• Counseling sessions for a single person usually last 50 minutes, couple counseling 90 minutes.
• The duration and frequency of counseling depend on the individual needs and goals of those involved. The rotation can be weekly, bi-weekly or tri-weekly.
• The duration of the consultation also varies. Sometimes only one conversation is enough. Mostly, however, a consultation lasts several months.