We’ve all heard that marriages have peaks and valleys. We expect there to be difficult times, occasional challenges and stress. But you may not be expecting the stress and strain that is added to your marriage while coping with life transitions.

Throughout your marriage, you’ll have plenty of life changes: job changes, death of family members, financial difficulty, health problems, etc. Even supposedly “happy” events, such as the birth of a child, promotions, a move to a new home, child starting college, retirement, or recovery from an addiction can lead to incredible stress and change. Coping with life transitions tests the strength of a marriage.

Life changes have a way of producing misunderstandings, conflict, anger and unrealistic expectations. When these tensions fester within a marriage, it produces bitterness and unhappiness. Marriage counseling is an effective way to learn how to deal with and manage your anger and resolve the acrimony. For many couples, marriage counseling makes the difference between separation, or living happily ever after.

Before marriage counseling starts, there is an important first step. Prior to marriage counseling, both parties must agree that there is a problem that needs to be resolved. For many couples, marriage counseling provides an opportunity to open up and look for solutions, to have a guided conversation within a safe and neutral environment, but it requires a genuine commitment from both people and an agreement to work towards a solution. Without that agreement, marriage counseling can be a difficult, laborious and often fruitless process.

The goal of marriage counseling is to provide couples with the tools they need to move forward with their feelings. Marriage counseling provides a process for resolving conflicts, for coping with life transitions, and for understanding stresses and strains in a marriage. Most importantly, you can learn how to deal with and manage your anger, without allowing that anger add more stress or destroy the marriage.

Coping with life transitions requires individuals and couples to develop new strategies that address the changes that are occurring in their lives. It’s easy to stay stuck in a situation, trying to make changes using the same process you’ve always used for resolving conflict. Marriage counseling provides a forum to look at these problems realistically and honestly. Your marriage counselor will challenge you to look at your situation in a new light, and develop strategies to cope with those changes and learn how to deal with and manage anger constructively.

With the right help, your marriage can sail through life changes, stronger and better than ever.

For further information or consultation regarding psychological issues, or life coaching, you may contact Dr. Dreyfus by letter, phone, email, or fax.

You can e-mail him or call (310) 208-5700.

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