What does the marriage counseling process look like?
Marriage counseling is generally referred to as couple therapy or marriage therapy. The work is done with therapists. Marriage counseling helps during disagreements or disputes, problem-solving strategies, and relationship challenges. Finally, marriage counseling encourages better communication and offers practical tools to resolve the issues. The process of marriage counseling involves an initial assessment, goal setting, and future sessions geared toward a specific issue.
According to a recent study, nearly 40% of marriages end in divorce. Not because they do not want to take on their problems, but because the couple is either unaware of the need for help or is unwilling to seek assistance from a therapist due to the pressures of societal stereotypes. Marriage counseling deals with,
- Money issues between couples
- For better problem-solving and decision-making strategies
- Identify issues that are affecting the relationship and their solutions
- Communication problems and disagreement in parenting strategies
- In the end, a healthy way to live together or out of the relationship
What is the Islamic concept of marriage counseling?
Marriage being sacred, begs the question, how can we make our marriages strong, as well as appreciate their utility in a world where divorce rates are climbing? The spectrum of marital problems can be as little as small, day-to-day squabbles relating to poor communication to serious problems with in-laws. It could also be about intimacy-not necessarily a reason, infidelity causing serious problems in marriage.
Islamic marriage counseling is a special kind of therapeutic counseling that addresses marriage-related issues in the guidance of the Quran and prophetic teachings with the application of modern psychological solutions. It gives solutions according to the spiritual and cultural needs of the couple.
Dr. Hala-professional clinical psychologist and Islamic marriage counselor-states that self-development is the primary concern of Islamic marriage counseling. It is all about self, which is awareness of oneself emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically in every aspect. This is where it sharply differentiates from the other counselling. Most of the other counselors deal with relationship matters while neglecting the work of esteem. Secondly, marriage counseling is concerned with treasuring the essence of friendship between husband and wife. It is because friendship adds to the durability of all marriages. It involves rapport, quality time, and making a person feel special, loved, and a priority.
Thirdly, marriage counseling revolves around spirituality. Your relationship with Allah is the one dictating how you treat your spouse. Being conscious that one day you are going to be held accountable makes you more cautious, the spouse is a means to Jannah. Lastly, conflict resolution comes. Many do not know how to solve issues. Some either explode or ignore and walk out without resolving the conflict.
In fact, Islamic marriage counseling is built upon the notion of reconciliation: healing the rift, empowering the bond, and guiding it in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah.
Charges for marriage counseling
The cost of marriage counseling services is influenced by factors like location (where your therapist works). The average price range in the US is about $75-$150.00 per session, while in Pakistan, the average price ranges from 1,000-7000 per session. Also, the format of therapy plays a major part in determining the cost; online therapy is cheaper than an in-person visit. The duration of the session also influences the therapy cost. Generally, the more sessions, the greater the cost of therapy. The most important point to consider is what the issues are that you are going to treat under therapy, i.e., single issue costs less than multiple issues. Lastly, it is an experience of the therapist that really matters; one with years of experience and specialization asks for much more than the one just starting their career.
Can marriage counseling work?
Marriage therapy is the complicated and hardest of all treatments for any family. Experts argue that marriage therapy is the most difficult type of therapy that cannot be tackled well by untrained therapists. Even trained therapists have to know about different kinds of relationship dynamics to approach them for their service. Despite all the hard work that it involves, research has shown that this therapy is extremely popular and effective. It has produced very good results with a success rate of about 70%.
Research has proven that marriage counseling enhances the emotional and physical state of the couple while improving the quality of the relationship.
How marriage counseling works?
In couples therapy, an experienced and capable counselor meets with the partners to sit together and work out their problems. The basis of the therapy is open communication, support, and the introduction of new communication and coping techniques.
Marriage counseling begins with an assessment and evaluation through couples and individual sessions.
The therapist collects data about the history of the relationship and how the relationship came to be and also collects data to understand the individual backgrounds of both individuals.
After that, the therapists start identifying patterns of unresolved issues and the factors that aggravate them.
Then, the next step is goal setting.
After that, the therapist begins training with the couple to build skills to address those underlying issues and intervene in conflict resolution.
Can marriage counseling help or make things work?
Yes, marriage counseling works when both partners sincerely want to resolve their issues under professional supervision. The counseling process provides a safe and neutral environment to talk about real issues affecting their relationships. With professional help, they understand the perspective of each other, learn the skills to resolve problems, and develop healthier ways of relating with each other; however, this is only a 70% guarantee, which means that not every relationship is bound to succeed.
What can SehatYab do for you?
SehatYab is an online counseling platform that hosts professional therapists. It presents a convenient and confidential platform for couples looking for professional marriage counseling, especially those who get anxious and phobic about face-to-face sessions. It provides evidence-based counseling techniques that equip couples with skills to enhance their relationship. More than that, it is economical and has culturally-sensitive therapists. Indeed, it is crucial in bridging the gap between therapists and those who are in need of materializing those relationships.
