Does Marriage Counseling work?

Have you ever considered Marriage counseling? Instead of looking at divorce as a suitable solution, some couples might prefer to seek the services of a marriage counselor. Couples counseling is very popular these days. It is easy for anyone to fall in love but to stay in love may not be. When you neglect your marriage, it begins to deteriorate and can affect all aspects of your life. It is also a proven fact (or so I’ve heard) that when a marriage is healthy, the partners have longer lives, less illness, less stress, and children who are happy (well, that’s probably a given). It takes two though. Relationships are not one sided. You need to work on keeping you marriage healthy by keeping that spark. In counseling, it may help both people to understand better the various aspects of their relationship. I have heard that they usually counsel both people separate and then together. I myself have never ventured down this arena but often wondered that if I did, would I have been to divorce court twice. Although, I still don’t count my first marriage. We were too young and it only lasted 4 months. I don’t believe a person knows out of High School who they want to spend the rest of their life with. It might work for a few out there but that isn’t reality for most. People change as they mature and I don’t think marriage is something you should rush into. If you get married and then later feel that things aren’t working out, I would do what you could to make sure it really is irreconcilable before you consider a divorce. If counseling is an option that you both are willing to do, try it. Are there any success stories secondary to marriage counseling that someone would like to share? What about counseling before the marriage? Does that work?