Marriage counseling may seem like a scary tool to utilize in a marriage that has never had any major problems, but what will happen to you and the love of your life when you feel like you’ve lost one another? Whether you’ve never been to a counselor or have been dealing with a major transition within your lives, a marriage counselor is here to help. Recently, we started giving readers the information they needed to better understand why a marriage counselor is the perfect tool within the sacred relationship of marriage. Catch up by reading our previous post here, and continue reading to learn more.

• Your wheels are spinning. Do you feel as though you and your spouse are dealing with the same problems over and over again without reaching a solid solution? If so, it’s time to reach out to a therapist. It’s normal to lose your relationship’s equilibrium sometimes, especially when issues rise to the surface of your day to day life.
• Your spouse has suggested going to a marriage therapist. If your spouse/partner in crime has recently come to you suggesting that you go see a counselor, it’s a good idea to listen. This is a sign that something in the relationship needs guidance. Remember, making an appointment with a therapist doesn’t always have to be because of a problem. However, if you do visit with a marriage counselor because your partner has suggested it, you should be willing to work on the problems with them.

Learn more!

It’s important to learn as much as possible about one another, and one of the best and easiest ways to do so is to contact our marriage therapist here in Fort Lauderdale. Remember, we’re on your team and we only want what’s best for you and your spouse. To learn more, please contact us!

It is not uncommon for couples considering counseling to feel ambivalent about taking the first step. Sitting with a third person discussing the intimate details of your marriage can feel overwhelming. Although at times you may think that visiting with a marriage therapist is unnecessary, you may benefit from it far more than you have ever realized. Here are some key signs you should schedule an appointment with our marriage counselor in Fort Lauderdale:

• You find yourselves having the same argument over and over without any sign of resolution.
• One or both of you may be thinking or threatening to leave the relationship if things don’t get better.
• The arguments and tension in the home are affecting those around you – specifically your kids.
• You’re dealing with major transitions. Whatever the transitions may be: A new job, a new addition to the family or a an increase in stress. Major transitions can trigger many different situations to happen in a relationship. When change happens, it causes stress. How well do you deal with stress? How well does your partner deal with stress? With the help of a marriage counselor, you can learn healthy ways to alleviate stress without damaging your relationship.

Depression is a scary place to find yourself in. Between the pain that you feel down to the core and the sensation of drowning in darkness, depression becomes a battle we fear we will never win. As with many difficult situations, we can’t overcome depression, not on our own at least. If you are reaching out for answers and are determined to find your way to the light at the end of the tunnel, we can help you – here, at The Center of Connected Living.

May 2 through the 8th is National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week; an entire week dedicated to two of the most common, crippling mental diseases. At the Center of Connected Living, we have constantly do our best to work with individuals that are struggling with depression and anxiety.

Working with a therapist is an absolute must in these instances, because of the underlying issue at hand, but these are a few of the other ways that you could work towards minimizing the overwhelming emotions of your depression and anxiety.

• Try to get 8 hours of sleep, no more, no less.
  • Anxiety and depression have high correlations with sleep problems. With too much or too little sleep, stress levels and emotions fluctuate at levels that become suffocating.
• Enjoy the sunlight.
  • Vitamin D provides our body with a feel good effect. Whether you spend 30 minutes to an hour outside, or take vitamin D supplements.
• Get some exercise.
  • Exercise provides so many benefits to our bodies, and while the physical attributes that change are great, you will see a huge change in the way your hormones and emotions are handled.

Therapy will always provide guidance when it comes to anxiety and depression. While there are plenty of doctors that will prescribe you medication and tell you that’s the answer, it’s not. The Center of Connected Living – Fl will help work towards the problem that lies beneath the pain. Start working towards your happiness by scheduling an appointment with us today.

When we hear the words ‘marriage counseling’ we assume that this is the final straw, that all hope has been lost beyond marriage counseling. While there are instances where marriage counseling is an attempt to grasp for any straws that are left, it isn’t always a because of downfalls in a marriage that counseling is beneficial. Here are a few of the ways that marriage counseling can benefit a couple.

Health Problems

Whether physical or mental health, a new diagnosis is life changing. Depending on the diagnosis of your illness, you are likely to notice a shift in the way of your day to day life, which can lead to depression, fear, anger, resentment, jealousy and more. In order to learn how to properly handle the situation without letting it destroy your marriage, you can work with a marriage counselor to provide you with insight, guidance and knowledge as you handle the change in health.

Remarriage and Blended Families

If you’ve already been divorced and have decided to re-marry our blend with families with a new partner, you may think it easier than it really is. This event blends not only two separate people, but two separate families. Learn how to handle situations as your family’s mesh together by getting guidance from a marriage counselor. These sessions will help you learn how to work as a team throughout this change of life.

Aside from these two instances, visiting with a marriage counselor can help you and your partner cope with death, lifestyle changes, job loss, preparation of marriage, change of religion, new children and more. At the Center of Connected Living, we open our doors to you and your spouse; regardless of the situation, you can count on our marriage counselor to provide you with the help that you need. Schedule your marriage counseling session today.

I know it might sound contradictory. Here you are, planning for your wedding, excited for your future and feeling delighted in your relationship. Counseling is the farthest thing from your mind.

But hear me out. Premarital counseling is different than traditional counseling, and here’s why. You’re being realistic and proactive about your relationship. You believe in each other enough to plan ahead for your future and you’re setting up your relationship for even greater success by taking advantage of premarital counseling.

And here’s a promise. It’s not as scary as you might think. In fact, many of the couples I work with say that the experience was uplifting, fun and brought them closer together (is that even possible when you’re already so gaga over each other as it is!? The answer is YES).

So here’s 5 reasons why you shouldn’t just consider premarital counseling, but make it a priority BEFORE you get hitched.

• It’s important to have the same vision, dreams and life goals. Premarital counseling gets to the heart of your core beliefs, future aspirations and innermost desires. Through counseling, you learn about what’s important to both of you in order to create a strong family legacy.
• Because there will come a point where you won’t see your relationship through rose-colored glasses anymore. It’s hard to hear, but it’s true. There will be times that you’ll fight passionately, love fiercely and hurt one another. This is normal, and through premarital counseling, you identify foreseeable triggers and warning signs so you can steer clear of relationship trouble as best you can.
• The majority of couples fight about sex, money and time spent together. You want to make sure you’re on the same page with those big-ticket relationship issues. And what better time to find common ground than now?
• If you were raised in a home where your parents argued a lot, then premarital counseling is a perfect way to understand your own family of origin in order to circumvent the same negative fighting cycle with your partner. A big part of healthy conflict management is in knowing how you were raised and learning more appropriate patterns of communicating.
• You’re ecstatic about the future and want to keep that momentum going for the long haul. Therapy is a great way to learn about what’s working WELL in your relationship now. Being able to identify all the ways in which your relationship is strong and healthy increases your optimism about the future and allows you to see the warning signs well before things have the potential of getting out of control.

You already know that you’re marrying the PERFECT person for you. But knowing that is just the beginning. You have to invest in your relationship while things are good now BEFORE making any future mistakes.

Fore more information about premarital counseling in the Fort Lauderdale area, visit The Center for Connected Living and schedule your free phone consultation.

In my profession, I see couples at their worst.

Divorce is pain, anger, embarrassment, failure, stress and financial ruin all rolled up into one.

So to help me get through the day, I make myself believe that couples who call our offices and seek out our services didn’t take the decision to do so lightly.

But the reality is I know from experience that’s not always the case. Some couples simply see divorce as the fast and easy way out, thinking there’s nothing they can do to fix their marriage. Never considering for a moment, they don’t have the tools or the knowledge to get the job done.

The good news is there are people like Dr. Corinne who do.

Why am I telling you this?

Let me see if I can explain what I mean by giving you an example.

When my car isn’t performing as expected, the first thing I do is call my local service station to schedule an appointment. I’m not one of those guys who try and fix it themselves or who props open the hood pretending to know what’s going on under there.

I love those guys…

I’m smart enough to “know what I don’t know” and I leave it to the professionals to ask questions, diagnose the issue and provide me workable solutions.

So how does this apply to marriage?

Well, marriages and cars actually have a lot in common.

They both need periodic maintenance, sometimes they run smoothly, sometimes they don’t and when they break down, you need to seek out the assistance of a qualified professional to diagnose the issue and help you fix the problem.

Saving your marriage is up to you

As a divorce mediator it’s not my role to force anyone who wants a divorce to change their mind. I don’t judge and I don’t take side. My role is to help two people peacefully and cost-effectively end their marriage without the use of lawyers if they so choose.

But I do personally believe before you move in the divorce direction, you should try marriage counseling first. You can always get a divorce if you and your spouse put in the work and counseling didn’t work out. But once you go down the divorce path, remember – you can’t un-ring that bell.

That’s why I personally feel if you or your spouse has any doubt about ending your marriage, you should both give it the thought and attention it deserves. And speaking with a professional like Dr. Corinne is a great way to do that.

But you have to give it time

What most couples don’t realize – because it happens gradually and often without either spouse noticing – is that it took you both a very long time to get into your current state of marital unhappiness.

Similarly, it’s not going to take just an hour or two to get things back on track.

So if you do decide that your marriage is worth saving, and you are willing to put in the work, just remember – results won’t come quickly.

Like the old saying goes “anything worth having is worth fighting for.” And if your marriage isn’t one of those things, then I don’t know what is.

So do the work, give it time and if it doesn’t work out, then and only then, call a divorce professional that can help.

Joe Dillon is a Divorce Mediator and Founder of Equitable Mediation Services; he helps client couples get a divorce without a lawyer if they so choose in Illinois and New Jersey.