The Role Of A Family And Marriage Counselor MD

By Timothy Adams


A couple may decide to go for marriage counseling because of one reason or the other. The process is usually managed by a family and marriage counselor. The choice of the right professional will in a significant way affect the course and also outcome of the counseling sessions. It will be important that you choose a professional who shares in your mutual objectives. When choosing a family and marriage counselor MD residents can benefit from some tips.

You need to go for a professional with the right qualifications. Not all counselors have professional training. You should not hesitate to ask all potential counselors about their qualifications. This makes it easy to prove when there are the right documents or through online reference. Other than professional training, their professional experience will also be a key consideration.

Depending on how serious the issues involved are, the chosen professional should have the right experience to be able to handle the issues. More serious issues will require more experienced professionals. One way to find out level of experience would be by going through online reviews that were posted by previous clients. A counselor must also be unbiased and neutral. Some partners may choose professionals that know them with the belief that such people will be on their side.

Professionals are not expected to take sides. They are required to remain neutral during the counseling irrespective of whether they know either of the partners. Most importantly however, a couple needs to agree on someone that is agreeable to both of them and with whom they will be comfortable. Any previous acquaintances need to be disclosed and discussed before a decision is made. This way, everyone will be comfortable with the process.

Your preferred counselor needs to have beliefs that are similar to yours. A counselor must not at any given time force their beliefs onto their clients. Couples tend to be more comfortable when the professional shares in their beliefs. This will mostly be the case for couples who have specific religious preference. For instance, should a couple not be supportive of divorce because of their faith, they would be better off with counselors who have the same belief.

The counseling sessions need to be more about finding solutions and less about money issues. In many cases, number of sessions depends on how serious the issues involved are. It also depends on how willing and dedicated the parties are towards reaching a solution. The money to be paid needs to be agreed before you start. Some counselors charge a flat rate fee while there are those with structured modes of payment.

It is important that you and the therapist set some concrete goals early enough. If there are no goals set, you could be meeting weekly without having any clear directions. Once there are set goals, they will form the guideline of the sessions. A future-orientation is the best way to have issues sorted out.

Couples will need to trust their instincts. If a therapist is helping you, it is easy to know. If they are not, you are able to know that too. You should not stick around even when there is no progress.




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