Emotional minefields represent the predictable yet overwhelmingly painful experiences that many couples go through as they try to adjust to each other. Hurt feelings are the most common result, but depression, anger, panic, paranoia, and many other emotions seem to pop up without warning. These emotions distract couples from their goal of creating a successful marriage and often sabotage the entire effort. Good marriage counselors help couples avoid many of these emotional land mines and are there for damage control when they’re triggered. They understand the enormous stress couples are under as they are facing one of their greatest crises. When one or both spouses become emotionally upset, good marriage counselors have the skill to calm them down and assure them that their emotional reactions are not a sign of hopeless incompatibility. The creative wilderness represents the typical inability of couples in marital crisis to create effective solutions to their problems. Their state of mind encourages them to do the opposite of what would work. Instead of a desire to care for each other, they are often hostile. When asked, “What would make you happy?” they respond with wanting to see less of each other. They are often unwilling to meet each other’s important emotional needs, especially intimate needs. Good marriage counselors are a valuable resource for effective strategies and they know how to apply them. They offer advice that is often contrary to what a couple really wants to do because they know it works. By taking advantage of special training programs that address common marital problems, good marriage counselors continue to build their inventory of effective strategies throughout their lives, and therefore provide the expertise and experience couples should expect in a good marriage counsellor. Apathetic swamps represent the feeling of discouragement that most couples experience. They may feel that any effort to improve their marriage is a waste of time. And discouragement is contagious. When one spouse is discouraged, the other quickly follows. Encouragement, on the other hand, may be met with scepticism by the other spouse. So, it’s easy for a couple to be discouraged, and difficult to be encouraged, while trying to solve their marital problems. Good marriage counselors know how to provide needed encouragement, and their clients know that at least their counsellor believes that their effort will be successful. Eventually each spouse comes to believe it too. But good marriage counselors do more than just encourage their clients they also motivate them to draw and follow a plan that leads to their recovery.Emotional minefields represent the predictable yet overwhelmingly painful experiences that many couples go through as they try to adjust to each other. Hurt feelings are the most common result, but depression, anger, panic, paranoia, and many other emotions seem to pop up without warning. These emotions distract couples from their goal of creating a successful marriage and often sabotage the entire effort. Good marriage counselors help couples avoid many of these emotional land mines and are there for damage control when they’re triggered. They understand the enormous stress couples are under as they are facing one of their greatest crises. When one or both spouses become emotionally upset, good marriage counselors have the skill to calm them down and assure them that their emotional reactions are not a sign of hopeless incompatibility. The creative wilderness represents the typical inability of couples in marital crisis to create effective solutions to their problems. Their state of mind encourages them to do the opposite of what would work. Instead of a desire to care for each other, they are often hostile. When asked, “What would make you happy?” they respond with wanting to see less of each other. They are often unwilling to meet each other’s important emotional needs, especially intimate needs. Good marriage counselors are a valuable resource for effective strategies and they know how to apply them. They offer advice that is often contrary to what a couple really wants to do because they know it works. By taking advantage of special training programs that address common marital problems, good marriage counselors continue to build their inventory of effective strategies throughout their lives, and therefore provide the expertise and experience couples should expect in a good marriage counsellor. Apathetic swamps represent the feeling of discouragement that most couples experience. They may feel that any effort to improve their marriage is a waste of time. And discouragement is contagious. When one spouse is discouraged, the other quickly follows. Encouragement, on the other hand, may be met with scepticism by the other spouse. So, it’s easy for a couple to be discouraged, and difficult to be encouraged, while trying to solve their marital problems. Good marriage counselors know how to provide needed encouragement, and their clients know that at least their counsellor believes that their effort will be successful. Eventually each spouse comes to believe it too. But good marriage counselors do more than just encourage their clients they also motivate them to draw and follow a plan that leads to their recovery.