In a marriage, there are more than just secret kisses and romantic dinners. It might be disputes in the middle of the night, awkward silences, and questions about when you first felt so distant. However, the majority of marriages do not end suddenly. Slowly but surely, they fall apart, one lingering grudge and one dispute at a time. Instead of waiting for things to get really bad before seeking marriage counseling services, try picking up the pieces before they crumble.

Have you ever felt like you’re rehashing an old argument? You have company. One partner in a couple’s dynamics may withdraw while the other becomes more assertive. One of them attacks, while the other stays back. In therapy, you can learn to interrupt these patterns so that you aren’t always arguing the same thing.

Next, there’s communication, or rather, the absence thereof. Nothing seems to come out of what you’re saying. Suddenly, you find yourself conversing in a completely different language, as words become warped and intentions are misunderstood. A counselor can assist in overcoming defensiveness, allowing for genuine connection rather than only exchanging words.

It takes time for resentment to kill. Build a wall between you and your partner out of little disappointments and unspoken annoyances. It becomes more difficult to dismantle the longer it remains uncontrolled. In therapy, you can let go of pent-up frustrations before they become permanent scars.

We should also discuss physical and emotional forms of closeness. That fire can be extinguished by stress, unfinished business, and the monotony of everyday life. If you and your partner have lost touch, counseling might help you rediscover the reasons you selected each other.

Loving someone means you’ll teach them to deal with disagreements, not run away from them. Having an expert on your side can be the difference between stagnation and progress in certain cases.