Because every situation is unique, it’s impossible to say exactly how long marriage counseling will take. For one couple, things can be resolved in a few sessions, while another couple might take up to a year. With a typical 50-minute session time, counselors can generally teach a couple some effective tools to use throughout the week. The following are some things that will determine how long the entire course might last.
The Couple’s Goals
Every couple, and every individual, will have different goals going into marriage therapy. Any couple can go in without a goal in mind and just hash through the past week after week. When there are specific goals written down and discussed, the length of therapy could be shortened. When determining your goals, keep in mind you are trying to find a solution, rather than a temporary fix for specific issues.
For example, if you and your spouse can’t agree on where your son should go to school, you may need help expressing feelings and truly listening. During your therapy sessions, you could work on communication, rather than discussing the issue of which school your son should attend. That will give you the tools and the confidence to have the school discussion at home.
The Couple’s Willingness
If one spouse is absolutely against counseling and is just attending to appease the other, it may not be very successful, and they could find themselves in therapy for a long time. If both spouses are unwilling, are just fulfilling a court order or another type of requirement, they may get done quickly because they may not be honest about the real issues. If both spouses are willing, it can be a great experience, and issues can be resolved much more quickly, as both will be open to figuring things out.
The Couple’s Schedule
If a couple can only meet once every two weeks, it might take a longer amount of time to finish marriage counseling than a couple that could meet once per week. Having longer periods of time between sessions could have one of two results. First, it could give the couple plenty of time to work on skills and practice using the tools they were given. Second, it could give the couple too much time for which to fall back into old patterns. If the second result occurs, it could take more sessions to iron out those issues. Each partner’s personality and willingness should be taken into consideration when determining space between sessions.
Reclaim Your Relationship Today
With so many resources available today, no marriage needs to suffer. If you feel you and your spouse could use that extra help to reclaim your relationship, contact a marriage therapist, like a couples therapist in Palatine, IL, today.
Thank you to the experts at Lotus Wellness Center, for their contributions to counseling and therapy.
