Counseling

Many people fail to benefit from marriage counseling because of the stigma attached to marriage counseling.  Many people think that only couples who are about to divorce or split up only need marriage counseling.  The truth is, all marriages have their struggles.  Most couples could benefit from marriage counseling for the many benefits counseling offers. You don’t have to be married to seek marriage counseling.  This is couns eling for couples, families, and individuals to better themselves in a relationship or as an individual.  Regardless of the status of your relationship, counseling is great for everyone.  Individuals, straight couples, gay couples, couples of all races, and couples who have less traditional relationship set-ups (long distance; open marriages; married, but not living together). You can go to marriage counseling whether you are just starting out or have been married for 40 years. Many couples even seek marriage counseling before getting married. Any struggle that you don’t feel like you can solve on your own — or could benefit from a trained, objective, unbiased perspective — can be helped by a few sessions of marriage counseling.

Do We Need Marriage Counseling?

Here are some reasons people have reached out to Jeff for marriage counseling:

• Couples who feel like they have the same fight over and over and it’s hard to see eye to eye or come up with a solution.
• Couples who disagree about parenting, financial, or lifestyle choices.
• Couples who feel that household responsibilities are unequal and can’t figure out how to effectively communicate about this or come up with solutions.
• Couples who feel that they have lost sexual or romantic chemistry.
• Couples who feel like their marriage is on auto-pilot.
• Couples who feel unheard or who feel like their partner is emotionally unavailable.
• Couples who have experienced a recent tragedy or loss and are having trouble processing it together.
• Couples who are dealing with substance abuse, infidelity, or mental health issues.

Do marriage counselors recommend divorce?

Jeff won’t speak on other marriage counselors, but for himself, he will not recommend divorce or even staying married.  What he will do is help you make the right decision for yourself as s couple and your family.  Ultimately, you will come to the right decision and Jeff will support you through whatever decisions you make together. While Jeff can be opinionated he is also a compassionate listener and will keep his personal opinions to himself.  Ultimately, Jeff wants you to find happiness and fulfillment. Jeff’s belief is that the two in counseling are the ones that should morally make the decision. However, in an abusive relationship, Jeff will listen and make sure the victim is safe and will help the victim separate themselves and find help.

What Happens During Marriage Counseling?

Working with Jeff, he likes to encourage both partners to be present and fully transparent.  For marriage counseling to work Jeff wants to see how you communicate and offer you both tools for improved communication. If your partner feels reluctant to come, or is unable to for some reason, you can attend marriage counseling alone. There can still be benefits for you: you can learn about yours

elf, and how you feel about your relationship.  Jeff will also give you tools to improve your communicating and listening skills.

How To Start Marriage Counseling

Very simple, you and your partner both have to be willing to start marriage counseling for it to be effective. If your partner seems reluctant, Jeff suggests starting individually meeting with each partner first. This way, each person feels they can tell their side of the story without criticism from their partner. You might also be able to entice your partner into going by saying that you are just going to try one session together, without a bigger commitment.

How to Convince My Husband to go to Marriage Counseling?

The most important thing is to be honest with your husband and communicate with your partner by clearly explaining why you think this is beneficial for the both of you to do together. Simply state that you wish to work on strengthening the relationship you have. Too many people see marriage counseling as a way to fix a broken relationship, but you can explain that marriage counseling can be used as a preventative measure as well. Marriage counseling offers valuable tools to help maintain and strengthen your marriage long-term.

Marriage Counseling Through ZOOM

Find a marriage counselor you trust.  Someone who is positive, non-judgmental, open-minded, solution-oriented, and who treats you both with compassion and respect. If you’re not in Jacksonville, FL and want to meet with Jeff, he offers sessions via ZOOM.  So wherever you are, marriage counseling with Jeff is always a possibility.

Is Marriage Counseling Right for Me?

Considering the success rates and statistics of marriage counseling it’s worth it to give it a try. According to About Marriage and Family Therapy, studies show that clients are highly satisfied with services of Marriage and Family Therapists.  Those that seek the help of a counselor report improvement in work productivity, co-worker relationships, family relationships, partner relationships, emotional health, overall health, social life, and community involvement.(Advanced Solutions International) As a matter of fact, consumers reported that marriage and family therapists are the mental health professionals they would most likely recommend to friends. Over 98 percent of clients of marriage and family therapists report therapy services as good or excellent.  That is pretty awesome.

Jeff Yalden is a Renowned Consultant and Speaker on Mental Health

Jeff started his career in 1992 while still in the Marine Corps. After witnessing a suicide, Jeff’s life was changed. Since that February day, Jeff has been paying it forward and educating himself and taking classes and courses on mental health, suicide prevention, and counseling. Today, Jeff mentors, counsels, and coaches many families, young adults, professionals, teens and youth, and people all over the world from his office in Jacksonville, FL.  He meets with clients virtually on ZOOM and some come to his office to meet live and in-person. Jeff is a four-time bestselling author, mental health and suicide prevention expert, and a counselor for marriages and families.  You’ll be glad you’ve reached out to Jeff.

After Receiving Marriage Counseling

After receiving treatment, almost 90% of clients report an improvement in their emotional health, and nearly two-thirds report an improvement in their overall physical health. A majority of clients report an improvement in their functioning at work, and over three-fourths of those receiving marital/couples or family therapy report an improvement in the couple relationship. When a child is the identified patient, parents report that their child’s behavior improved in 73.7% of the cases, their ability to get along with other children significantly improved and there was improved performance in school. Marriage and family therapy’s prominence in the mental health field has increased due to its brief, solution-focused treatment, its family-centered approach, and its demonstrated effectiveness. Statistics about marriage counseling are promising. According to research from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 98% of couples who try marriage counseling report that their therapists are either “excellent” or “good.” Of couples who try marriage counseling, 90% feel that their emotional health improves, and two-thirds report improvements in their physical health. And perhaps the most important statistic of all: up to three-fourths of couples see improvements in their relationships after marriage counseling. Marriage, like anything else, requires work and maintenance. For many couples, marriage counseling is just the thing that helps them move through their struggles and endure as a couple. Marriage counseling may not always be easy, especially at first, but your marriage is worth the work. References: Advanced Solutions International, I. (n.d.). About Marriage and Family Therapists. https://www.aamft.org/About_AAMFT/About_Marriage_and_Family_Therapists.aspx.