Does Marriage Counseling Work: Statistics Can Help You Find the Answer
Does marriage counseling in Tampa Fl. & Brandon Fl. work?
That’s a really big question, but in reality, what people are asking is, “Can marriage counseling save my marriage?” The answer to that depends a lot on a number of factors that are outside of the counselor’s office.
While some of these points are highlighted below, here are some of the factors to look for when considering marriage counseling in Tampa Fl. & Brandon Fl.:
Have you waited too long? If you’ve been tearing each other apart for ten years, there’s a really good chance that there’s so much damage that unraveling it can’t be done.
Do you really want to save your marriage? Sometimes people go to counseling just to say that they tried. They aren’t really wanting it to work. They’re just saving face to assuage their guilt.
Is there violence or abuse in the relationship? If there is, you’re not trying to save a marriage, you’re trying to stop criminal activity. Abusers, whether physical or emotional, aren’t “unhappy” in their marriage; they are often scared and impotent people who feel powerless everywhere else in their lives.
Does this arrangement meet your needs? If saving your marriage means that you get to spend another 30 years suppressing everything that you want to do, is that worth it? It takes a hard and honest look at what each person wants to make sure that you’re getting from the relationship what you need.
A Hidden Factor in Marriage Counseling
One of the biggest factors in the success of marriage counseling is the counselor. Almost every counselor in the world says that they do marriage counseling, but most never received any training. Often, they got a degree in psychology or therapy and feel that they can do it. At Affordable Counseling in Tampa & Brandon Fl we have developed tools and skills we teach our clients. We have a higher success rate than the national average due to this.
Marriage counseling isn’t just one person and his or her issues. It’s two people, their issues, and interaction and dynamics of those issues. Marriage counseling isn’t just counseling – it’s a learned skill that requires a specialist.
1) Statistics Show High Rates of Patient Satisfaction
Over 98 percent of those surveyed reported that they received good or excellent couples therapy, and over 97 percent of those surveyed said they got the help they needed. After working with a marriage or family therapist at Affordable Counseling Center, 93 percent of patients said they had more effective tools for dealing with their problems. Respondents also reported improved physical health and the ability to function better at work after attending therapy.
2) Marriage or Family Counseling Takes Less Time than Individual Counseling
If you are wondering “does marriage counseling work?”, the answer may depend on whether or not your partner is even willing to go to therapy with you. If your partner refuses to go to therapy with you, you may be able to change the dynamic of your relationship just by going to individual therapy. However, statistics show that couples or family therapy is usually faster and more effective than individual therapy alone. When a couple or a family goes to therapy together, they have the chance to work on their group dynamic, and this leads them to success faster. Typically, it takes about a third fewer sessions to accomplish a goal in family or couples therapy than it does in individual therapy. This means you will spend less money and get your marriage back on track sooner than if you just tried to help yourself.
3) Working with a Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist Is Usually Cheaper than Seeing a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist
Unfortunately, when many couples start therapy, they feel stressed about money as well as many other things. Adding the additional stress of a therapy bill can be overwhelming for some couples, and in certain cases, it may be so overwhelming that it could derail the therapy. If you want to avoid that extra stress, you should try to use your insurance to pay for couples therapy. If you turn to Affordable Counseling in Brandon Fl. & Tampa Fl. you will typically spend 20 to 40 percent less than you would if you had opted to work with a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
4) Marriage Counseling May Lead to Divorce
When many people ask the question “does marriage counseling work?”, they are really asking whether or not marriage counseling in Tampa Fl. & Brandon Fl. can save their marriage. Unfortunately, this is not always the right question to ask. In some cases, marriage counseling works by convincing a couple that they are not in a healthy relationship and by giving the couple the encouragement they need to end their relationship. According to some research, approximately a quarter of couples who receive marriage therapy report that their relationship is worse two years after ending therapy, and up to 38 percent of couples who receive marriage therapy get divorced within four years of completing therapy. These statistics lead some people to consider one of the growing number of alternatives to marriage counseling.
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