If you type “Seattle Marriage Counseling” on google, you will probably come across numerous clinics and private practitioners. The Emerald City offers a wide range of licensed professionals that can help you (and your partner) overcome relationship or marriage problems. So, let’s help you find a good marriage counselor in Seattle.
Seattle Marriage Counseling
Although a city of nearly four million people has plenty of relationship counselors, finding the right one takes a bit of research on your part. But first: what is marriage counseling and how does it work?
What is Marriage Counseling About?
Marriage counseling (or relationship counseling) is a form of therapy for distressed couples who can’t seem to find a solution on their own.
Couples end up in counseling when they feel they no longer have the patience to listen to each other and conflicts escalate to alarming levels. Or when the relationship has “cooled down” and they don’t know how to reignite the spark that brought them together.
Marriage Counselors Code of Ethics
Marriage counselors are bound to follow the same code of ethics as any psychologist or counselor, regardless of their specialty.
If you want to find out more, you can check out the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) website.
Finding a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Seattle
There are numerous ways to find a licensed mental health counselor in Seattle, from referrals and recommendations to online resources.
If you’re looking for Seattle marriage counseling, this website can be extremely useful.
What Does Marriage Counseling Involve?
Marriage counseling is a process through which couples work on their relationship or marriage under the guidance of a licensed professional.
Relationship Counseling for Married Couples
For married couples, relationship counseling can be the key to a lasting marriage or the beginning of a healthy separation. In other words, “fixing” a relationship isn’t always about bringing partners together.
No matter how painful it might sound, there are times when separation is the best option.
Individual Counseling
In many cases, relationship problems are actually the result of individual problems that each partner needs to focus on fixing.
That’s why couples who end up in marriage counseling are often encouraged to seek individual counseling as well.
Premarital Counseling
Aside from helping struggling couples get back on their feet, relationship counselors can also offer guidance to “young” couples who are looking to start a life together.
A few sessions of premarital counseling can help you and your partner start your marriage on the right foot.
Treatment Planning
As with any other type of therapeutic approach, marriage counseling places a strong emphasis on planning.
Treatment planning offers a structured approach that allows partners to set goals, identify obstacles, monitor progress, and achieve well-being.
Marriage Counseling vs Couples Therapy
In essence, both marriage and couples counselors have the same academic background.
But while marriage counseling focuses on providing advice to struggling spouses, couples therapy usually goes deeper, exploring the history of each partner and unveiling unhealthy patterns that damage their current relationship.
Your Partner is Not Interested: Now What?
If your partner is trying to end the relationship while you are looking to fix it, the situation can be quite challenging for a marriage counselor.
And that’s why counselors resort to discernment counseling, an approach through which both the leaning-in and the leaning-out partner can follow through with therapy.
Think of discernment counseling as a viable alternative for couples who feel stuck between staying together and breaking up.
Gottman Institute
The Gottman Institute was founded by John Gottman, a world-renowned psychologist and leading expert in relationships. Their mission is to help families and couples build and maintain lasting love and happiness.
Aside from helping couples and training the future generation of mental health professionals, The Gottman Institute focuses extensively on research to provide a better understanding of how healthy relationships work.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
The Gottman Method is a research-based approach to relationship counseling that emphasizes the role of trust and commitment. By disarming conflict, increasing intimacy and cultivating respect, counselors who employ this approach can increase empathy and understanding within the relationship.
How Can the Gottman Method Help?
At this point, The Gottman Method is one of the most popular approaches in relationship or marriage counseling.
In fact, the model appears in the Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, along with other robust approaches like cognitive behavioral couple therapy or solution-focused couple therapy.
Professional Training Workshops
By providing professional training workshops, the Gottman Institute is looking to help counselors sharpen their skills. In fact, there’s a level 2 training program that will take place in Seattle this month.
Accessing Marriage Counseling and Therapy in Seattle
The easiest way to find a licensed professional is by typing “Seattle marriage counseling” on google. You can also ask for word-of-mouth recommendations from other people who’ve been in therapy.
Couples Workshops in Seattle
Couples workshops can prove extremely helpful for both struggling and happy couples. Being alongside other couples who are trying to better themselves can be motivating.
And since Seattle is one of the largest cities in the country, you will most likely find workshops throughout the entire year.
Hold Me Tight Couples Workshops
The Hold Me Tight workshops are built around the Emotionally Focused Therapy approach. At this event, couples will revitalize and renew the connection. If you’re living in Seattle, you can read more about (and maybe register to) their upcoming workshop here.
Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work
The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work is a popular workshop that promotes John Gottman’s approach to relationship counseling. It’s a two-day event that will take you from the research behind success and failure in relationships to creating a vision as a couple.
Revitalize Your Relationship with Seattle Marriage Counseling
All and all, the Emerald City offers plenty of options for those of you looking for Seattle marriage counseling services. Sometimes, it takes more than two people to fix a relationship!
