COUPLES THERAPY AND MARRIAGE COUNSELING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS
Are you and your partner struggling to communicate and connect with each other?
Do you find you and your partner are having the same fights over and over?
Are work or financial stresses affecting your time together?
Do you argue about how to parent your kids?
Are your children growing and leaving the house?
Do you care for aging parents?
Is there a loss of togetherness leading to the feeling of living separate lives?
Was there infidelity and now you are struggling to trust?
Is there grief and loss in your relationship due to a crisis?
Do you have problems in your sex life or feel sexually rejected?
Are you engaged and want to work through any conflict before you get married?
Have you lost the spark in your relationship?
Do you avoid your partner because you are afraid that if you interact, you will fight?
Real talk from a Houston Couples Therapist: Do you fantasize about what it would be like to be single again and feel relieved when your partner is away?
A marriage therapist or couples counselor in Houston can help you feel better, determine where to go from here, and help you and your partner get along - whether you decide to stay together or not. If your marriage is in a difficult place, a marriage intensive may be your best bet to get back on track quickly.
CONFLICT is a normal part of every relationship
Do you find you and your partner are fighting about the same things over and over causing you to feel distant and frustrated? Do you struggle to understand why your partner can’t understand your point of view or why they don’t seem to hear you when you speak? Are you worried things have gotten so bad you won’t be able to ever reconcile? Do you feel like you give 110% and your partner is not really as invested as you are? Do you fight about how to raise and discipline your kids? You got into a relationship to feel connected, but often you feel alone even when you are with your partner.
When things are bad in your relationship, it puts a strain on every part of your life.
It can be hard to focus, get your work done, and feel happy. It puts strain on your kids and can make your home life feel tense.
You deeply desire to love and be loved. It’s one of our most basic human needs. But sometimes it seems like whatever you do, you keep getting the same results. You keep having the same fights. You keep feeling like crap after you have a fight with your partner. Couples therapy and marriage counseling can help you focus on and strengthen the relationship so you can face life stressors together as a supportive, happy, and healthy couple. Having a neutral third party (your Texas marriage therapist) allows both of you to see things from a new perspective, to feel understood, and to learn the tools you need to truly, deeply love each other. And, it gives you the skills you need to talk openly and honestly without getting defensive.
Are you staying together for the kids, but feeling trapped in an unhappy marriage? Marriage therapy in Houston can help.
What is Couples therapy Or Marriage Counseling?
Couples therapy is designed to work through areas of conflict and other aspects of your relationship you would like to change. Working with a therapist in a safe and confidential setting enables you to explore how your individual background, beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors may be affecting your relationship in both positive and negative ways. We also offer Christian couples counseling and Christian marriage counseling. Couples counseling is available in-person as well as online couples counseling throughout the state of Texas.
What are the benefits of Marriage Counseling & Couples Therapy?
Learn to see things from each other’s perspective
Build a shared vision and goals for your relationship
Make your relationship a safe place
Regain trust after it has been broken
Learn to have fun and have romance with your partner
Find a neutral & impartial place to talk about problems
Gain insight into how you are in your relationship
Work through roadblocks that have caused conflict
Learn how to deal with your partner’s negativity and negative traits
Learn to bring out the best in one another
Become more self-aware and grow as a person as well as a partner
Improve the sense of closeness and intimacy
Create a dynamic and fun sex life
Help you avoid big problems in the future
Not Sure Which Option Is Right For You?”
You have other option aside from weekly therapy:
When do I need couples Therapy & Marriage counseling?
A lot of people wonder if they need couples counseling or not. They may be fighting with their partner and feel unhappy in their relationships, but are unsure if counseling is really necessary. For some people, the idea of starting couples counseling fills them with apprehension. It is kind of intimidating when you don’t know what to expect, and it can be hard to open up to a stranger about personal and painful things.
Or perhaps even more scary than talking to a therapist is the thought of being honest and vulnerable with your partner if you don’t feel emotionally safe with them. You may even worry they will get angry and lash out if you are honest about how you feel. Trust me, I know how intimidating couples counseling can be. The longer you wait, however, the worse the problems are likely to get. Don’t wait until you are ready for a divorce to call a therapist. A trained Houston marriage therapist can help you gain the tools and insight you and your partner need to heal your relationship soon.
If you are not sure if you need couples counseling in Texas, this blog post may help you determine the answer to that.
What Kind of Techniques do you use in Marriage Counseling & Couples Counseling?
We will use a variety of techniques and tools to help couples including The Gottman method and Imago relationship therapy.
The Gottman method is one of the most well-researched forms of couples’ work. We have seen how well this works with hundreds of couples who have come through our office. The goals of this type of therapy are:
Improve communication & work on unhealthy communication
increase closeness, intimacy, respect, and affection
Help couples who feel stuck or bored to have a vibrancy
Improve empathy and understanding
They do have a helpful Gottman blog that addresses common issues that come up with couples.
Imago relationship therapy is another well-respected form of couples counseling. In this type of work, we will discuss ways that wounds from your past and perhaps from childhood may be causing problems in your current relationship. The Imago couples dialogue is one of the most effective communication tools that I have seen. It can help couples to go from seeing each other as enemies in their conflict to having empathy and understanding. This can create a safer space in which couples can then work out their differences.
It is completely normal for relationships to need a tune-up.
You love your partner and are committed, so why should you bother going to counseling?
Can’t you just fix things in your marriage on your own?
Even in the best marriages, getting a tune-up can make things smoother and turn up the affection.
In any relationship that goes the distance, people often start to take each other for granted in time. They can stop having fun together, or just get so busy that they lead parallel lives where they don’t connect. You may find that you fight about the same topics over and over. Couples counseling gives you time to slow down and focus on your relationship. It allows you to reevaluate what may make things more dynamic.
Things can get bumpy for couples any time they have gone through big changes. Texas Couples therapy is especially helpful to help you navigate those changes such as having a child, going through midlife, moving, or kids leaving the home. Now is the time to reconnect. Counseling is not just a place to talk about your problems. You will learn hands-on skills you can take with you throughout your life.
Can I do online couples THERAPY AND ONLINE MARRIAGE Counseling in Texas?
Absolutely. Our couples therapists are trained to do online therapy with couples. We have found the results to be just as effective as in-person couples counseling. It’s great to have this option as it can save you commute time. You can do therapy from anywhere you have online access. We have had couples who have done counseling from their couch at home, from their offices, or even from their car.
These services are designed to help couples work through issues such as communication problems, infidelity, financial disagreements, and parenting challenges. Online counseling sessions allow couples to have a more flexible schedule, avoid the commute, and receive counseling in a comfortable and familiar environment. Couples who may feel hesitant about seeking therapy in person may feel more comfortable opening up with online marriage counseling services.
What can I expect from couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling?
Please read through this helpful article about what you can expect from couples counseling from The Couples Institute before your first session to get the most out of your couple’s work.
I have found that most people come into couples counseling hoping I will tell their partner how wrong they are. But, if you come into this just hoping to have your partner’s flaws highlighted, you will really never be able to have reconciliation and connection.
It is important that you can also look at yourself and see what you are doing that may not be helpful to the relationship. You have the most control over yourself and change yourself. I know your partner has some significant issues that need changing too, and we won’t gloss over that, but start with yourself first.
If you and your partner are both open and committed to learning and changing, you will have a great chance of improving things. I have seen couples turn things around after being on the brink of breaking up. There is hope!
Couples counseling can help you be a better partner Or spouse.
Before you come to counseling, I recommend that you think about what your goals are for couples therapy. Ask yourself the following questions:
What is my vision for my life with my partner?
Who do I want to be in a relationship with?
What skills do I need to have a happy relationship
What is my motivation for change?
A Houston marriage counselor can help you improve your communication with your partner
You love your partner. You don't want to fight, but you find yourself miscommunicating and arguing, anyway. In this short video, I cover two easy steps you can take to start communicating better with your partner, or really with anyone in your life. Think of these as communication life hacks to demystify the communication process. Check out the Wilson Counseling Youtube channel for other videos like this one.
I am ready to start marriage counseling or couples therapy but have some questions or concerns...
-
Couples counseling can be highly effective, especially when both partners are willing to participate in the process and work on the relationship between sessions. Therapy can help couples improve communication, better understand one another's perspectives, rebuild trust, navigate conflict more effectively, and strengthen emotional connection.
While no therapist can guarantee a specific outcome, many couples find that counseling helps them break out of negative patterns and have conversations they have been struggling to have on their own. Whether you are dealing with frequent arguments, emotional distance, parenting disagreements, infidelity, or major life transitions, couples counseling can provide tools and support to help you move forward.
-
For most couples, with the right motivation and tools, your relationship can be repaired. The fact that you are seeking counseling is a sign you want to save your relationship. However, if you are sure that you are ready to end the relationship, we can also help you to end it amicably, learn to co-parent, and communicate peacefully through this process. Here is an article about the what makes couples counseling fail and suggests ways to improve your success.
-
Learning to rebuild trust takes time. It also takes powerful tools to help you build trust through positive experiences and open communication. Couples counseling can help you get to your goal of having a trusting relationship. It’s a scary prospect, but it is the only way to feel at peace in your relationship. If you’re working through betrayal, you may also benefit from a more structured format like intensive couples therapy.
-
Your therapist is a neutral third party who is there to provide a safe environment for you to express your thoughts, worries, and feelings. They are there to offer tools, empathy, and support, not judgement. They can help both partners recognize what they are doing that is not helpful in the relationship without blame. Then they can help you change those unhelpful patterns.
-
Doing couples OR individual counseling can be helpful. You can’t force someone else to get help, but you can choose to help yourself. When your partner sees the benefits counseling is having on you, they may be more open to considering counseling. Either way, you will gain tools to feel like you can manage what you are going through and get good counsel on how to be in your relationship. In situations like this, many couples find that a more focused approach, like a couples intensive, can help create momentum.
-
Think of it as an investment in yourself, your happiness, as well as that of those around you. When you feel less anxious, you will have an easier time in your relationships. Problems in your relationship can affect every part of your life. When you are fighting, it can make your home feel like a battleground. If left unresolved, problems can lead to divorce, which is both deeply painful and painfully expensive. Marriage counseling and couples counseling can help you find the tools you need to heal and find intimacy again.
-
The length of marriage counseling varies from couple to couple. Some couples come to therapy with a specific issue they would like to resolve and may meet for only a few months. Others are working through more complex concerns such as long-standing communication difficulties, trust issues, recurring conflict, or recovering from an affair, which may require a longer period of counseling.
Rather than focusing on a specific number of sessions, we encourage couples to focus on their goals and the progress they are making. During the first few sessions, your therapist can help develop a plan and provide a better sense of what the counseling process may look like for your relationship.
-
Most couples begin with weekly sessions. Meeting consistently allows both partners to build momentum, practice new skills, and address challenges before they become larger problems.
As communication improves and goals are met, some couples transition to biweekly or monthly sessions. The right schedule depends on the concerns you are facing, your goals for counseling, and the pace at which you would like to work. Your therapist can help you determine a schedule that fits your needs and circumstances.
Get started with the best couples Therapy Or Marriage Counseling in Houston, TEXAS
Feel Closeness and joy in your relationship again!
-
Many people wait until they are completely overwhelmed before reaching out for help, but therapy can be beneficial long before things reach a crisis point. If you find yourself feeling stuck, repeating the same patterns, struggling in relationships, feeling anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, or simply wanting support through a difficult season of life, therapy may help.
You do not need to have a diagnosis or a major problem to benefit from counseling. Therapy can provide a space to better understand yourself, develop new coping skills, improve relationships, and make meaningful changes.
-
The first session is primarily an opportunity for us to get to know one another. We will talk about what brought you to counseling, what goals you have for therapy, and any concerns or questions you may have.
You do not need to prepare a speech or have everything figured out before you arrive. Many clients are nervous about their first appointment, and that's completely normal. Our goal is to create a comfortable environment where you feel heard, understood, and supported.
-
Every therapist brings a unique personality, background, and area of expertise to their work. During the consultation process, we take time to learn about your goals, preferences, and concerns so we can help connect you with the therapist who is the best fit for your needs.
Finding the right therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in successful counseling, and we are happy to help guide you through that process.
Looking for More Relationship Resources?
You may also find these articles helpful:
If you're looking for a more focused and accelerated approach, learn more about our Couples Intensive Therapy program.
Clinical Review
This page was clinically reviewed by Nancy Wilson, LPC-S, founder and clinical director of Wilson Counseling.