A marriage counselor who recently celebrated her 35 wedding anniversary has been so kind as to offer us a few words of wisdom. She has written 5 principles for strengthening a marriage. These worked for her for the past 35 years so they might work for you as well!
A recent finding featured on FamilyFacts.org shows that infants in married families are more likely to exhibit positive behavior compared to children whose mother’s are divorced or not married. Just another reason why keeping your marriage in tact is so beneficial to you and those around you. If ever you feel there is a problem, don’t keep it inside and let the anger/frustration pent up inside you. Seek marriage counseling! It’s the most effective way to save your marriage!
Apologetic Louisiana Senator David Vitter who has recently admitted using the infamous DC Madam’s escort service has released a statement in which he said he has already received forgiveness from God and his wife. In order to protect and save his marriage, he underwent marriage counseling after using her service. In a printed statement, Vitter said, “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling.” This doesn’t mean that you can just go out and cheat on your spouse and get marriage counseling to smooth things over. But this does go to show the power of marriage counseling and how a third party intermediary can help strengthen any type of relationship.
Although marriage counseling is serious business, a recently released movie featuring Robin Williams and Mandy Moore show how marriage counseling can benefit from a comical standpoint. Without ruining the movie for you, a couple is looking to get hitched and the only church in their area has an eccentric pastor, Robin Williams, who refuses to bless their union until they pass his infamous pre-marital counseling course. He makes them undergo a series of comical scenarios and tests in order to ensure they are ready for marriage. Although the tests and scenarios are a bit extreme, it definitely shows how marriage counseling prior to marriage can help strengthen a relationship and make you more prepared for the road ahead.
In today’s sexually-charged society, marriages need more work than ever to not become another statistic. There are more distractions and factors that could contribute to divorce today than ever before. However, a church in Maryland is leading the way in the up-hill battle to promote healthy marriages. They are in the process of uniting 220 organizations to promote healthy marriages. One of their ideas is to have successful, happy couples counsel couples in need of help.
Premarital Counseling No Longer Enough; Newlywed/Follow-up Counseling Now Recommended
Published by July 2nd, 2007 0 CommentsExperts are now saying that pre-marital counseling is no longer enough to ensure a healthy marriage. Following your nuptials, couples are now recommended to return to a marriage counselor. Newlywed counseling is like a follow-up with your doctor after surgery. He is just there to ensure everything is going smooth and there are no complications or surprises. Engaged couples that attend pre-marital counseling are typically more guarded about their relationship and often more reluctant to be completely honest. After marriage, couples are more relaxed and used to each other and therefore by nature are more honest, making the counseling more productive!
Recent reports indicate that the divorce rate is the lowest it has been in 30 years. This sudden decline can be both attributed to the fact that the marriage rate is down and more people are living together out of wedlock. This is beneficial for couples in that they get to spend more time with their significant other and thereby are more prepared for marriage.
More Counties in Florida Receiving Federal Grants to Promote Healthy Marriages
Published by March 28th, 2007 0 CommentsPinella and Manatee counties in Florida have just received $5.5 million to build and promote healthy marriages and relationships in the surrounding area. Two agencies are in charge of allocating the funds. Family Resources Inc. and the Family and Marriage Center plan on opening the doors to classrooms teaching couples counseling to people of all stripes. It is available to anybody over the age of 15 and both married and unmarried couples can attend. The government, in granting these grants, finally is beginning to understand that children raised in healthy/happy environments contribute more to this society and generally do better than those who are not. Both agencies plan on holding classes that are both fun and informative.
Wynonna Judd Credits Marriage Counseling For Long Lasting Marriage
Published by March 28th, 2007 0 CommentsWynonna Judd recently filed for divorce from her husband who has been arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery on a child under the age of 13. She cited irreconcilable differences as a reason for divorce. The reason she says that her marriage lasted as long as it did is because they used to attend marriage counseling sessions regularly. From workshops to couples counseling, Judd says they learned how to express themselves better. She also said they learned how to confront each other in a more civil manner.
Senator David Hoyle from North Carolina recently proposed a bill that would provide marital counseling to couples who choose to get married in court. The idea, he says, is to reduce divorce rates that are at a historical high. Currently, couples that choose to marry in court are not offered premarital counseling. Hoyle says that this bill, if passed, would help teach couples how to better deal with conflict and communication issues. The United States needs to learn from Senator Hoyle and offer this type of counseling to all couples getting married, whether its in front of a magistrate or a traditional wedding.
Oklahoma Approves Covenant Marriage; Removes Common Law Marriage
Published by February 20th, 2007 0 CommentsThe Oklahoma legislature has approved covenant marriage as a voluntary option for couples wanting to get married or renewing their vows. The bill passed 93-7.
Covenant marriage, according to House Bill 1026 is a lifelong agreement, where the couple obtains counseling before marriage on the purpose and responsibilities of marriage. The couple then sign a notarized affidavit saying they were counseled and received the “Guide for Covenant Marriages” pamphlet.
A divorce would be granted only in the case of adultery, physical abuse against a spouse or child, if one spouse abandons the home for at least one year, if spouses live separately for 18 months, or if there is fraud entering into the covenant marriage contract.
House members also removed common law marriage from Oklahoma law. Common law marriage was defined as when two people live together for a certain length of time but do not enter into a formal marriage contract.
The bill, authored by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, passed with a 98-1 vote. She said common law marriages dated back to statehood when there were very few ministers or judges to formally marry couples.
The “idea outlasted its time,” she said.
Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes “Covenant Marriage”
Published by February 20th, 2007 in Pre-Marital Counseling, Divorce and Laws. 0 CommentsOklahoma state representative John Wright is introducing a bill that would make “covenant marriage” a voluntary option. The Republican lawmaker is hoping to try to reduce Oklahoma’s high divorce rate by making it tougher to get a divorce if the covenant marriage option is chosen by the couple.
The law would eliminate “incompatibility” as grounds for granting a divorce and would require that the couple attend marriage counseling sessions for at least 15 days before they were married. This type of counseling, usually known as pre-marital counseling is becoming more popular across the United States and some countries are looking into requiring it.
San Francisco Mayor to Enter Counseling
Published by February 6th, 2007 in Marriage, Substance Abuse and Infidelity. 0 CommentsThe popular mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom has decided to enter counseling to treat his alcohol abuse problem. Newsom, 39, admitted “My problems with alcohol are not an excuse for my personal lapses in judgment.” The lapses in judgement refer to an affair that he had with the wife of a trusted political aide that he recently publicly admitted to.
Newsom will enter counseling at the Delancey Street Foundation in San Francisco. The treatment is not expected to affect his duties as the mayor of San Francisco and he is expected to run for a second term in November.
Even though we run a website dedicated to marriage counseling and family therapy we sometimes come across an acronym for a counseling credential that makes us scratch our heads. For our sanity and for yours, we try to maintain an updated list of the credentials that are common in the counseling world and some that are not so common. Do you know what it means to be a CCHt? If you do, kudos. If not, you can always look it up on our credentials page!
Click here to see common marriage counseling and family therapist credentials
China recently saw the opening of the second “Divorce Company” aimed at helping resolve marital issues/conflicts. Contrary to common belief, a divorce company does not persuade couples into getting a divorce. Instead, they help couples solve any crisis they may be having. They help couples open channels of communication that may not have been open prior to their arrival at the divorce company. According to the manager of the company Lin Chunyan, they can also be regarded as a ‘marriage hospital’.
Marriage License Discount Proposed in North Dakota
Published by January 14th, 2007 in Pre-Marital Counseling and Laws. 0 CommentsThe good folk up in North Dakota are discussing giving a cash incentive to couples who attend pre-marital counseling before tying the knot. Talks are underway to give a $25 discount on a marriage license to those couples who attend a 4 hour pre-marriage counseling course. Local Pastor Keith Ritchie says the bill is necessary to show that North Dakota values marriage. The bill has not faced any opposition thus far.
Redepoyment to Iraq Increasing Divorce Rate at Fort Campbell
Published by January 14th, 2007 in Divorce. 0 CommentsThe redeployment of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Ft. Campbell is taking a drastic toll on marriages there. Mary Coe, a local marriage and family therapist, says she has seen an overwhelming number of military personnel since the second deployment to Iraq. The first deployment wasn’t so bad, she says. However, the second time around, families had a tough time getting through it. Divorce skyrocketed, as did general turmoil in marriages.
Navy, Marines Now Require Pre-Marriage Workshops Before Tying the Knot
Published by January 14th, 2007 in Pre-Marital Counseling, Laws and Couple Therapy. 0 CommentsThe Navy and Marines now require servicemen stationed in Japan to attend a mandatory two-day pre-marital workshop. The workshop is designed to build successful marriages. In it, the counselor covers a wide array of topics that may typically be too difficult for couples to bring up on their own. They include communication, finances, religious and cultural differences and anything else the counselor feels needs to be discussed.
It has been reported that international pop icon Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have been seeing a marriage counselor. The couple has been married for six years but have reportedly been going through some tough times privately while publicly appearing to be happy as a couple. The couple raises three children together. Two of the children are from Madonna’s previous relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon and one of them, David Banda was recently adopted from Malawi. Madonna and Guy Ritchie are just one example of the popularity of marriage counseling and family therapy among celebrity couples and families.
The new secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America, the largest Muslim organization on the continent, said that Imams living in the United States need to embrace the culture better and provide services that are now rarely offered to Muslims. He says that Imams need to offer marriage counseling and pastoral counseling in order to help Muslims who sometimes feel alienated in this country. Traditionally, Imams did not offer marriage counseling mainly because of the large extended families that generally would help with counseling. However, today, Muslims often live far away from any relatives and do not have any type of support. That is where Imams need to step in according to Muneer Fareed, the new ISNA chief.
