Marriage Counselling

“Prevention is better than cure”

Premarital counselling helps couples to recognise their strengths and areas that will need work. Therapy helps to recognise weaknesses and differences in beliefs that can create issues in the marriage in future. Premarital counselling helps identify areas of development. Premarital counselling can be compared to a person going for a mental health check-up to ensure everything is fine. Counselling helps to address many different topics like children, sex, parenting styles, faith, finances etc.

Premarital counselling puts in motion the concept of communicating and airing the issues. It’s not about resolving all issues.

• Uncover Marriage Expectations
• Understand the belief each brings into marriage
• Recognising the past that comes with you as part of marriage
• Learn to make healthy choices in your relationship
• Learn effective communication styles and conflict resolution techniques
• Collaborate for healthy financial choices around money
• A platform to air about your intimacy values and beliefs with each other
• Understand each other’s perspective about children
• Identify your weaknesses that can trigger problems in future.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to determining when to seek couples counselling, as every relationship is unique. However, certain signs can indicate that professional help may be beneficial in strengthening your relationship. By paying attention to these signs, you can address issues before they escalate and prevent the development of destructive behaviours that may jeopardize your relationship. Here are some common signs that you and your partner may need marriage counselling:

1. Communication Challenges

Effective communication is necessary for maintaining a healthy relationship. If you find yourselves struggling to communicate effectively, whether through frequent arguments, yelling, or silent treatment, it may be time to seek professional guidance. Couples therapy can improve communication, conflict resolution, and relationship satisfaction.

“It’s not uncommon for couples to feel as though they’re having the same argument over and over again.” – Dr. Adam Borland, Clinical Psychologist

2. Emotional and Physical Intimacy Issues

Lack of physical or emotional intimacy can significantly impact a relationship. If you feel disconnected from your partner or notice a decline in passion and affection, couples counselling can be instrumental in revitalizing your bond. Through therapy, you can explore strategies to reignite the spark, improve emotional closeness, and address any underlying issues that may be affecting intimacy.

3. Trust and Infidelity Concerns

“Trust forms the foundation of every successful relationship.” When trust is broken, whether it’s due to lies, secrets or infidelity, it can be extremely difficult to regain. However, couples counseling offers a secure and confidential environment where trust issues can be addressed, and the reason of the breach of trust can be explored. This can help in working towards restoring trust and rebuilding the relationship.

4. Major Life Transitions

Life transitions, such as having a baby, losing a loved one, moving to a new home, or changes in employment, can put a lot of strain on a relationship. Couples counselling can assist you in managing these transitions together, creating coping mechanisms, and ensuring that you and your partner remain connected and supportive during times of change.

5. Substance Abuse or Addictions

Addictions, whether to drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, or other problematic behaviours, can strain a relationship. Seeking couples counselling can provide a supportive environment to address addiction-related issues, facilitate open and honest conversations, and explore treatment options. It can also help partners understand the underlying causes of addiction and develop strategies for recovery and healing as a couple.

6. Growing Apart

Over time, couples may find themselves growing apart, losing sight of shared values and interests. This can lead to a sense of disconnection and dissatisfaction in the relationship. Marriage counselling can help you and your partner rediscover common ground, reestablish shared goals, and reignite the passion and friendship that initially brought you together.

7. Financial Conflicts

Financial conflicts are a common source of problems in relationships, and can have significant impacts on communication, trust, and overall satisfaction. Seeking couples therapy can provide a platform for honest discussions about financial values, beliefs, and expectations. It can also help couples develop effective financial management strategies, promote teamwork, and reduce financial stressors.

8. Parenting Challenges

Raising children can present unique challenges and place strain on a relationship. Couples counselling can help parents work through parenting differences, improve communication, and develop strategies for effective co-parenting. Partners who tackle parenting challenges together can create a harmonious and supportive environment for their children, while also strengthening their bond as a couple.

9. Contemplating Separation or Divorce

If you or your partner are thinking about separating or getting a divorce, couples counselling can provide guidance and support during this difficult time. Although therapy cannot guarantee that the relationship will work out, it can help both partners gain insight, explore their feelings and make informed decisions about the future of their relationship. Therapy can also help make the transition to separation or divorce healthier.

Couple therapy is the best way to give a new start to your relationship and heal the cracks on time. Sometimes it’s just a matter of speaking up and have a deep healthy conversation between the couple.

• Uncover Marriage Expectations
• Resolve your trust issues, and sexual problems
• Understand the root cause of the conflict between the two
• Get rid of the little or in some cases even bigger misunderstandings
• Resolve communication issues

At Insightful Counselling, Singapore, our qualified and experienced therapists work with you to ensure you benefit from counselling. Marriage counselling can help to resolve issues between you and your partner in a civilized and productive manner.

• Helps to establish a proper communication channel
• Understand the root of the issues
• Build a stronger connection
• Resolve issues you face

Divorce counselling involves both partners attending the sessions. It is usually short term counselling. This counselling can be either pre-divorce or post-divorce. A divorce may have a breakdown in communication channels. A counsellor or a psychotherapist will assist in working through different disagreements and facilitating the concerns each spouse has about issues related to divorce. They can include a multitude of topics like

• Custody of children
• Co-parenting issues
• Facing complex emotions like anxiety
• Financial issues
• Property related conflicts

The rate of divorce continues to rise, and counselling can help their clients heal from the trauma of divorce. Divorce has profound and long-lasting emotional distress.

Unlike couple counselling, where partners usually try to save a marriage, divorce counselling involves sessions to facilitate divorce proceedings.

Increased dissatisfaction with the marital relationship can lead to separation and divorce. Divorce involves taking many decisions related to lifestyle, finances, parenting, custody, and more. In addition, it is emotionally traumatic as there is a loss of a relationship.

Divorce counselling facilitates decision-making, working through grief, regulating emotions, and establishing identity as a separate person. In addition, counselling assists the person, couple, and family make the necessary adjustments to establish relatively satisfactory post-divorce lifestyles.