Relationships are complicated, and despite our best intentions, we end up hurting the ones we love. However, conflict in the relationship doesn’t always mean that the relationship is doomed to end. Relationships require work, and with a bit of compassion, active listening, and professional help, most broken relationships can mend. Below, we explore some tips to help you and your partner find your way back to intimacy, and what to do if you’re both too far gone.
Try couples therapy.
Also referred to as marriage counseling, couples therapy helps couples develop new skills to help them resolve conflicts and improve the quality of their relationships. Facilitated by a licensed family therapist, couples therapy is a short-term practice. Some spouses need only a few weekly sessions of family therapy while others need several months of couples counseling. The methodology used will depend on your specific issues.
With the help of an experienced clinician, some couples may find that they may be incompatible with each other and choose to separate. Where this is the case and if both partners have expressed the willingness to stay in therapy, the therapy sessions can be modified to help both parties develop problem-solving skills that can help them end the relationship amicably.
Consider going on a couple’s retreat.
Also referred to as an intensive couples therapy retreat, a couple counseling retreat, or a marriage retreat, is a vacation-like package combined with couples counseling that is offered in an intimate setting and overseen by a team of therapists.
Most marriage counseling retreats take place throughout an intensive weekend, allowing you to have more time with your couples therapist. This is important because not all relationships can survive weekly counseling. What’s more, if you feel like certain areas of your relationship are in trouble, then you need help, and a marathon couples therapy session can help.
One of the benefits of a couples therapy retreat center is that it offers attendees a safe space to gain a better understanding of each other. By initiating the hard work of teaching couples how to identify behaviors in their partners that they find triggering, counselors can give you tips and tricks for clear communication. They’ll also help you find ways to regain connection.
Hire a family law attorney.
If you want to end your marriage because things haven’t been going well, a divorce attorney can help. Some of the reasons that drive most married couples to the brink of divorce include domestic violence, infidelity, lack of intimacy, financial problems, addictions, and lack of emotional support.
One of the things that can complicate the divorce process is the type of divorce that you and your ex are having. If you’re having an uncontested divorce—where you and your spouse agree on all the terms of the divorce settlement—for instance, it may be easier for you and your ex to divide your marital property without issue. However, in a situation where you can’t agree on the division of property, child custody, spousal support, child support, and more, you may need legal representation.
If children are involved, there’s more at stake. A divorce lawyer will explain what to expect during the legal process and help you get the best outcome for your divorce case. If you need help finding a divorce attorney Birmingham, AL, for instance, consider seeking referrals from friends and co-workers who’ve recently been through a divorce. Alternatively, consider visiting your local bar association’s website to get a great list of family law firms in the state of Alabama.
If you can’t afford attorney fees and are worried about the quality of legal services available to you, your local legal aid office can assign you an experienced divorce attorney to help with your case.
