Strengthening Your Marriage During Stressful Times

Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Relationships

Strengthening Your Marriage

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Strengthening Your Marriage During Stressful Times

There is nothing like the stress of a new baby, children and managing work and family responsibilities. The demands of your job and feeling pulled in so many ways can put the relationship on the back burner. If you don’t feel like a priority or struggle making your relationship a priority, the result may be anger, ongoing conflict and disconnect. This stress can cause one partner to find ways of coping, which sometimes means online cheating, an affair and infidelity. Disconnect and anger is never an excuse for having an affair, but most of the time this level of betrayal is a symptom of a problem in your relationship that needs attention.

Common complaints for people seeking marriage or couples counseling:

Not feeling like a priority
An affair, infidelity, online cheating and other betrayal
Communication problems
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed managing work and family responsibilites
Feeling like you don’t matter to your spouse
Feeling like you can’t count on your partner
Feeling alone and disconnected
Lack of sex and intimacy

It is certainly understandable that balancing things at home and work is very challenging for most families these days. Not feeling like you can communicate in a productive ways can only make matters worse. Maybe you feel like you don’t matter, like you’re not important. Maybe you feel like you can’t count on your partner or spouse to be there for you emotionally and otherwise.

What is an very important – and we will discuss these things in counseling- is reflecting on all the things that influence the way you relate to one another. This includes what you’ve been through in your early significant relationships – how your role models treated each other and treated you will influence your behavior and expectations to a great extent. Is important in understanding your present day dynamic to understand how these have influence the way you communicate, respond or react to your significant other. The same will be for them, so understanding that your spouse or partner has their own paradigm and issues will significantly impact your dynamic and not necessarily in a positive way.

Strengthening Your Marriage During Stressful Times

Need couples or marriage counseling to help in strengthening your marriage or relationship!? See how therapy can help you understand your spouse and get better at responding to their needs rather than reacting. Learn how to communicate in ways that your spouse or partner will be more likely to hear rather than get defensive. Get in touch if you are looking for a skilled and experienced therapist in Northern New Jersey.

Unhappy and Feel Alone?

Relationships

Unhappy Relationship?

Things Need to Change?

Relationship in trouble? When is it time for relationship therapy?

Many couples consider therapy early on when they start having issues with communication and other difficult issues. Others wait a long time hoping things will get better trying to fix things themselves. It is only when one person has just about given up hope do they call a therapist for help. All relationships take work – even loving, healthy ones. Getting outside help from a professional is a big step for some couples, but when you’ve tried to fix things on your own and it hasn’t helped, it is time to consider marriage or couple therapy before you call it quits.

When therapy can help. Here are a few indicators….

1. Frequent finger pointing – problems are always your fault and your spouse does not understand his or her part

No matter what is done, somehow you cannot seem to get through to your spouse or partner. It may be hard to listen an understand one another without feeling defensive and blaming.

2. Communication styles vary and make it difficult yo resolve issues

The relationship seems to be out of whack when it comes to one person’s ability to express anger and the other just shutting down or putting up a wall. It’s hard to express yourself in a way that your spouse can take it in.

3. One of you is working harder at the relationship than the other

You are always the one that is trying and putting all the effort into the relationship. Not only do you feel drained and exhausted, but you feel very underappreciated. For all the effort you put in, you feel you deserve something in return, yet it never comes.

4. Afraid to express yourself if it causes your spouse or partner to get angry

Even though there may be issues, you prefer not to argue or fight because you are so worried about your partner reacting instead of responding. A good therapist can help many couples get better at listening and responding rather than reacting and make it safer to express yourself.

5. Trust and betrayal
Do you feeling insecure in your relationship? Does it feel like your spouse or partner is hiding something? Did you find out about an affair? When a couple struggles with trust for any reason it is important to find ways to create more trust and a security for relationship to improve.

If you struggle with one or more of these issues, therapy can help. Many couples can improve their relationship if they are open to working with an experienced couples therapist.