Just how can you know if you need help in a therapeutic setting? Just what is an indicator or symptom of a problem that can be treated? How do you know if you can be helped? Take a look at the following issues and see if any the issues related to relationships apply to you and/or your significant other:

• Did you marry at an early age?
• Did you not graduate from high school?
• Are you in a low-income bracket?
• Are you in an inter-faith marriage?
• Did your parents divorce?
• Do you criticize one another?
• Is there a lot of defensiveness in your marriage?
• Do you tend to withdraw from one another?
• Do you feel contempt for one another?

If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, then you are statistically a higher risk for divorce than couples who have realistic expectations of one another and their marriage, communicate well, use conflict resolution skills, and are compatible with one another.

What Type of Couple Gets the Most From Marriage Counseling?

Answer:

• Young couples.
• Non-sexist couples.
• Couples who are still in love.
• Couples who are open to therapy and change.

What Type of Couple Receives the Least from Marriage Counseling?

Answer:

• Couples who wait too long before seeking help.
• Marriages with one or the other spouse set on getting a divorce.
• Married individuals who are closed to any suggestions that may save the marriage.

Solutions Learned From Happy Couples

John Gottman, a leading researcher in the field of couples and marriage counseling focuses on use of research that looks at happy couples for solutions. He has discovered that even though all couples experience conflict in their marriages, happy couples apparently know how to handle their disagreements because of a foundation of affection and friendship. You too can learn the techniques that lead to a happy and satisfying marriage.

Unhappy couples do not have this skill.

Gottman suggests that the goal of couple therapy needs to change. Rather than trying to change marriages, he thinks counselors should teach communication skills to couples. You can learn how to implement these lessons into your relationship in a guided couples counseling setting.