The Art of Intimacy
A Newsletter for those seeking relationship help.

Welcome

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer, with down time, lazy days, and that all important R&R in the sun. As we near the season's end, my phone starts to get busier with requests for couples counseling. Unfortunately people can put this off for years, and even for those who take action more quickly, certain times of the year are often worked around so as not to disrupt family time/vacations/holidays. Fall is seen as a time of transition, saying good bye to the old and preparing for new and better things to come. Therefore, therapists can get busy with a lot of requests.

I thought this would be a great time to write about how to find the right counselor for you, especially given the many barriers that can exist due to finances, availability in your geographic area, and what/if your insurance covers this service. While you will have to work through those barriers to get a list of people, I hope that my thoughts and advice on how to find your best match will make the process easier and lead to a successful resolution of your relationship challenges. Read on for my advice and suggestions.

We continue to update Consum-mate, and are always adding new articles, columns, and blogs. Make sure you check us out to see what is new and maybe just what you are looking for.

My dating and relationship articles offer a lot of free, useful information and practical advice. You can find these on the menu at the top of http://www.consum-mate.com/

Feel free to visit my media page at http://www.consum-mate.com/newsroom.htm where I keep an updated list of some of my media quotes. There are also many topics that l tweet about or mention on my Twitter and Facebook pages. If you want to check me out on Twitter, you can find me there at https://twitter.com/CoachToni

If you are looking for specific dating or relationship advice, you can find this on my page at: http://www.consum-mate.com/articleindex.php?s=c My columns and articles also run on Family Share at: http://familyshare.com/authors/toni Divorce Support Center at http://divorcesupportcenter.com/index.php/experts-h/783-toni-coleman-lcsw-cmc and Cupid's Pulse at http://cupidspulse.com/102918/relationship-advice-new-years-dating-resolutions/#

A special thanks to all of you for subscribing to this newsletter. Consider forwarding it to a friend or loved one seeking dating, relationship, or happier living advice; but please don't sign anyone up without their express permission.

Quote of the Month

"A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time." ~ Anne Taylor Fleming

Featured Article: Couples Therapists--One size does not fit all

It's not uncommon for someone seeking marital counseling to call me with questions related to concerns they have due to a prior experience with the wrong counselor. They want to know if I play favorites, if I am married and/or have been divorced, if I am active or passive in my style of working with people, and/or if I believe that fidelity is possible and that the goal of having a long-term, happy marriage is even realistic. I address each of their questions directly and candidly, and in the process they get some sense of who I am and how I interact; which is a great first step to finding a counselor who is a good fit for them.

People bring their individual differences to their relationships in the form of their personalities, backgrounds, lifestyle wants and needs, values, and beliefs. These differences make every individual and couple unique--and a therapist who has been able to help one couple may not be effective with another. The following are specifics on what to make note of, beginning with that first phone call to those first few sessions you spend together. If you are a good match in these areas, it's likely you have found the best person to help you address your particular challenges and make the right decisions for your relationship/marriage.

The counselor is easy to talk to

This might not seem that important at first glance, but it is often cited by people as an issue with a past therapist. The counselor's style of interacting, their tone of voice, body language, and how formal or informal they are can help you feel accepted, at ease, heard, and understood or not. It is very important to feel comfortable and safe enough to open up and candidly share your feelings, concerns, fears, wants and/or needs. Without this, you will be wasting your time, energy, and money and letting more precious time elapse that your relationship may not be able to afford.

They ask you your goals upfront and support them

Too often couples complain that their therapist did not seem to have a plan, did not track what they discussed from week to week, and allowed them to just vent and go around and around in their dysfunctional dance. The right therapist will address your goals for counseling in the first session. He or she will ask you what you are looking for and expecting, and give you time to ask all the questions you need to. The right therapist will also guide the sessions, step in when necessary, redirect, and/or help you to bridge your communication blocks by teaching you new skills and giving you the right tools to employ them with.

Your beliefs about relationships/marriage appear to be compatible

Yes, this can be a problem. Some therapists are very pro-marriage and see separation and divorce as a last and undesirable step, regardless of the particular issues in the relationship. Other therapists might see divorce as a good option and believe that if it hasn't been working, it might well be because you did not choose well in the first place. Many other differences could exist as well, and though some are insignificant, others might not be. If you find that your views of marriage are very dissimilar, you should address this, and if you continue to feel uncomfortable you may need to consider finding someone else.

You both feel listened to and respected

It is not uncommon for one spouse to feel as though the counselor is taking sides with their partner. Marital counseling requires the therapist to remain aligned with the RELATIONSHIP and the couple's shared goals, not to any one individual, which is how individual counseling works. The therapist has to step carefully and find ways to support both spouses, yet when confrontation is needed, to do it in such a way that the person does not feel blamed or as though they are the sole problem in the relationship. This requires complete respect towards both people and what they have to share, while acknowledging any upset feelings they may have towards the therapist when they feel he or she is being unfair. In other words the counselor will listen to any feedback you offer and take the time to address your feelings and offer support and encouragement as needed.

You feel empowered to make the decisions that are right for you

No one else can or should tell you what is right and best for you. You and your partner are the only people who should be making decisions about the direction you want to go with your relationship. Your goals should be the focus, supported by the counselor. Your therapist may deem it necessary at times to redirect, confront, and/or point out dynamics that are unhealthy and not serving your mutual needs and goals. This is not the same thing as telling you what you should do, rather he or she is making sure that everything important is being brought to the surface and addressed. If you feel as though the therapist is overstepping in this area and you say so, the right counselor will acknowledge what is going on and take a step back, but not away, in order to let you take the lead.

Once you make the difficult decision to seek counseling together, finding the right therapist will be essential to getting the best possible outcome. If you end up rushing the process or going with someone who just happens to be available or convenient, you could actually make things worse. A bad experience with counseling can reinforce negative beliefs about your partner and/or relationship, waste precious time, contribute to your stress and unhappiness, and lead you to believe that you have done everything you could and it didn't work, so divorce is the only solution left to you.

End Notes

Relationships make life worthwhile--they add a depth and breadth that nothing else can. However they also challenge us, stretch our resources and even sometimes our sanity, and when things start to go really wrong, they can leave us in serious and immediate need of help before it's too late. Seeking the help of a qualified professional has made a real difference for many couples--but the process of finding one can be wrought with barriers, then when you do finally get a few names, you need to figure out who will be the right one for you. It is a process and one that takes a little time. So if your relationship or marriage is struggling, start now, before the distance and resentment grow even greater.

If you would like more direct help with your relationship or marriage--email us at tonicolemanlcsw@gmail.com We have a lot of experience helping people to work together in a new and better way and find a common ground that is a healthy and happy place for both. Feel free to browse through Consum-mate.com and read the many columns, articles, quizzes and videos available there. We look forward to hearing from you and offering any assistance we can.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Toni Coleman, LCSW
Consum-mate.com
Phone: 703-847-1768
E-mail: Toni@consum-mate.com
Web: http://consum-mate.com

© Copyright 2008-2015 Antoinette Coleman. All rights reserved.

Distribution Rights: The above material is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site.

Reprint permission will be granted, upon request, to student newspapers, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. Advance written permission must be obtained for any reprinting of this material in altered or modified form.