Posts Tagged ‘catholic marriage counseling’

Catholic Marriage Counseling Can Help Improve Your Relationships

counseling for marriage

You can benefit from Catholic marriage counseling, whether you’re Catholic or not. Christian counselors are not aiming to convert the non-believers, but rather, they’re trying to defend the sanctity of marriage and strengthen the family environment. After all, strong, loving family units are mankind’s best defense against evil. Rather than pay $100-$200 per session with a licensed marriage therapy professional, why not see what God can do first?

One form of Catholic counseling happens before you even get married. Pre-marriage counseling is generally part of any Christian ceremony. Counseling for couples may be done in sessions, as a weekend retreat or as a group seminar. As with any other marital counseling, you’ll learn about conflict management, identifying wants or needs and strengthening communication skills. Often this opportunity is partially covered by insurance, with a small fee based on an income-sensitive sliding scale. The idea is that pitfalls can be prevented with a little bit of skill building and knowledge prior to tying the knot.

Marriage rebuilding is another type of Catholic marriage counseling that has gained popularity over the years. There are many reasons why couples fight, but one of the main reasons is money. Catholic charities may be able to assist a couple in acquiring food or getting help with their heating bills for a few months until they can get back on track with their finances. They can also preside over an open dialogue about spending habits, as well as short and long term goals. Other times couples may fight over child rearing, in which case pastoral counselors can remind us to return to God and raise our children with love and firm resolve.

There are pros and cons to choosing Catholic marriage counseling. On the plus side, you’ll be saving money, strengthening your marriage and learning to incorporate more spirituality into your life. On the downside, you’re often not being counseled by someone who has formal training in conflict management, communication, psychology or marital issues. The group seminars may not provide the type of personalized analysis you would like, so if you feel you’re in need of some solid solutions, then perhaps marriage therapists would be more your speed.

Tags: , , , ,
Filed under Conflict : Comments (0) : Mar 22nd, 2009