Marriage counseling is one of the best steps to take before starting your marriage or anytime during your marriage life. But, unfortunately, most people hesitate to pick up the phone and make an appointment with the experts because of the many prejudices, preconceived myths, and misconceptions associated with this subject.
Marriage and Relationship Counseling Misconceptions
San Diego couples who struggle with communication or other issues often find themselves going down the path of divorce. One of the sticky issues is that none of the couples is feeling heard. Beyond that, there are misconceptions about premarital counseling and relationship counseling in general that often get in the way of helping couples with their concerns. We’re going to debunk them so you can have confidence about relationship counseling in San Diego.
1. It is a sign of weakness
Seeking help from counselors in San Diego is useful when you need a professional, it is actually a strength, not a weakness. It shows that you need a solution to the problem. Family therapists are mental health professionals that you can open up your heart to, relieve painful and sensitive experiences of your marriage and your secrets so that they can guide you. This needs a lot of mental strength and courage. It is actually a sign of taking responsibility in your marriage. Society should encourage people to seek marital counseling to resolve disagreements or any conflict that the two partners have not been able to settle. Marriage counselors are experts, and you can’t compare their services to the advice you get from relatives and friends. There is nothing wrong with approaching a counselor for help in matters of the heart or to iron out issues in your family.
2. The counselor doesn’t know me, so they can’t help me
While it’s common for couples to turn to family and friends when things aren’t working in their marriage, that’s not always the best approach to solve your issues. Marriage counselors are an excellent resource to guide you and your family through difficult times. Counselors in San Diego are trained professionally and have impartial judgment. Because of their experience with cognitive therapy and family systems treatment, these professionals can offer effective solutions to your situation. They also help you deal with mental health issues and other problems in a way that family members and loved ones can’t. With the counselors, both of you get to share freely about what you are going through and how you feel about your situation. Your confidentiality is guaranteed when you attend a couples counseling session in San Diego with Jan Rakoff, LCSW.
3. Counselors take a long time, and marriage therapy costs a lot of money
Counseling services are meant to restore marriages, and therapy sessions will take as long as they need the objectives to be met. Thus it’s not practical to put a time limit on the care and attention for marriage to get back on track. The complexity of the issues being dealt with and the personality of the concerned couple are other factors that will determine the time and money that you’ll spend. Verified San Diego counselors say that their clients see positive change within 8-10 sessions.
4. Marriage counseling San Diego condemn either of the partners
Some couples may fail to look for relationship counseling because of the misconception that marriage counselors slide with one partner and look down on the other’s choice. This is not the case; verified Sandiego counselors gather information from both partners to make judgments from each partner’s perspectives. They then advise how each one of you should change the approach towards restoring a good relationship. Even if one partner is the cause of the marital problems, marriage experts in San Diego cannot condemn that partner because that can worsen the relationship. Yet, their profession calls for facilitating healthy relationship dynamics in their sessions.
5. Marriage Counseling is only for major issues or “crazy” people
You should not only consider marriage counseling when life gets hard. As a young couple, you can go for premarital counseling as a preventative measure to help you navigate relationship difficulties later in your marriage. Again when arguments recur in your marriage, it’s healthy to visit relationship therapists before things worsen. You don’t have to wait until you feel stuck in life, your children suffer anxiety due to family disputes, and you begin thinking of divorce to go for relationship counseling. Once you take counseling as a preventative measure in your relationships, this myth will no longer matter to you.
6. Counseling doesn’t help or will make the situation worse
Each marriage has different needs, and counseling outcomes will not be the same for all couples. Marriage counseling in San Diego provides you with support, a new perspective, and a guide to handle marriage conflicts. A verified marriage counselor is there to make you feel heard, guide you out of anxiety, depression, a painful life experience, and substance abuse. They can also help you attain personal growth as they equip you with coping skills throughout the therapy sessions. At marriage Counseling in San Diego, with Jan Rakoff, LCSW, I prioritize patients’ monitoring and adjust the therapy for best results. This way, I help clients stabilize, improve, or recover.
7. Some friends tried marriage counseling, but it didn’t help them, so that it won’t help us too
Marriage counseling may have failed your friends because they did not get a licensed marriage counselor. Unverified marriage counselors in San Diego may cause great damage to your relationship. For experts in relationship counseling, “the relationship is my client” is the key answer to the question “who is your client.” Again for counseling to work, you and your partner must adhere to the therapist’s recommendations and be patient because some changes may take more time. Whether done in person or via video sessions, counseling will work well provide you fight tirelessly for your marriage.
Contacting a mental health professional or going for family therapy or divorce therapy in San Diego, CA, is a smart thing to do and not a sign of weakness. Married couples and romantic partners can find lasting solutions to their problems and lay a solid foundation for the future.
Are you looking for a San Diego marriage Counselor?
Jan Rakoff, LCSW has decades of experience in couples counseling in San Diego. Over the years, she has provided individual counseling and couples therapy to many couples struggling with relationship problems and parenting issues. Whether you are in a dark place or feeling stuck, Jan can help you deal with your relationships and improve your communication. She also treats anxiety using proven techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Call 858-481-0425 to speak to Jan, a licensed marriage therapist in California, and learn more about her therapy areas and practice.
