Navigating Valentine’s Day When Your Marriage Is In Crisis
Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and as much as you may try to ignore it, images of red hearts and happy couples seem to be everywhere. When you’re not feeling the love this year, it can be challenging to navigate this holiday. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith offers Local Marriage Counseling to help couples through this emotional holiday and find healthy ways to work through their differences and build a stronger marriage. Continue reading for some tips on getting through Valentine’s Day when your marriage is in crisis.
Navigating Valentine’s Day
Anniversaries, birthdays, family occasions, and holidays can feel like plagues when you’re in the middle of a marriage crisis. Valentine’s Day can be a tough time that triggers painful emotions for many couples. For whatever reason you find your marriage in crisis, Dr. Joel Kuppersmith is here to help you work through those things. Here are some valuable tips to help you navigate Valentine’s Day when your marriage is in crisis:
- Talk with your spouse before the 14th to tell them how you are feeling and your expectations for the holiday. You can agree to set aside current hurts and enjoy a meal together.
- Use the day to think back on happier times in the relationship. You may be able to recreate some of that feeling this year and reconnect with your partner.
- Valentine’s Day is not only meant for romantic couples. You can take this opportunity to shower love on others in your life.
When you and your spouse are in an emotional rut, you may be unclear about what to do. If you still love your spouse and want to work to make your marriage work, Local Marriage Counseling may help your relationship succeed. Taking this holiday to set aside big expectations for romance or gifts will give you time to focus on communicating gently together.
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If you find that your marriage is in crisis and would like help navigating conflict patterns and improving your communication, Dr. Joel Kuppersmith is here to help. There is no time like the present to use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to reconnect with your partner and extend the olive branch. Be sure to contact us today to learn more about Local Marriage Counseling.
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Marital Problems During The Holidays
Having marital problems is hard at any time, but it can be even more challenging over the holidays. The holidays often place a spotlight on relationships, and the stress brought on by busy schedules, travel, finances, and difficult relatives can take a toll on you and your partner. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith specializes in Local Marriage Counseling. Our team has compiled a list of common marital problems that seem to pop up during the holiday season and how you and your partner can handle them.
Marital Problems During The Holidays
It’s no secret that the holidays can be a testy time for relationships, especially if there is already tension. If you are having trouble navigating the season with your partner, Local Marriage Counseling can help. To help you get through the holidays, here are some common marital problems and tips for getting through them:
- Deciding where to celebrate – Deciding whose family to spend the holidays with is a contentious issue that pops up every season. One solution to this issue is to switch off holidays or rotate between the holidays every year. If that doesn’t work, you can invite both sides of your family over, but this can be quite an undertaking and add a whole new level of stress for a couple.
- Dishonesty about holiday spending – Financial issues are one of the leading causes of divorce. Between buying gifts, food, travel tickets, and decorations, holiday spending can lead to serious disagreements about finances. Before the holidays, sit down with your partner and discuss a realistic financial plan and decide on a budget together.
- Emotional disconnection – Finding time to connect with your spouse when your schedule is hectic can be emotionally draining. To help avoid feelings of emotional disconnection and keep your relationship united, try to focus on appreciation, attention, and affection. These factors are critical for keeping any relationship connected.
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By working through holiday conflicts together, you and your partner can savor the opportunity to give thanks, celebrate, and enjoy peace in your home. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith offers Local Marriage Counseling to help couples develop coping strategies and cultivate mutual understanding to improve their relationship. To learn more holiday survival tips, be sure to contact us today!
What Are The Signs Of An Unhealthy Marriage?
Marriage is a significant life decision and commitment that most people enter into with the shared goal of making it a happy and healthy union. While it’s perfectly normal for your marriage to have its emotional ebbs and flows, if your marriage is beginning to take a toll on your mental health, it may be time to reevaluate. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith is a psychologist that specializes in Local Marriage Counseling. Speaking with a professional can help you and your partner find the skills to navigate your relationship better. Continue reading to discover some of the signs of an unhealthy marriage.
Signs of an Unhealthy Marriage
Every marriage is different, and no relationship is perfect. It’s normal for a couple to experience ups and downs, but it’s important to distinguish between problems you are willing to deal with and those you are not. It can become more challenging to address issues if they start snowballing. If you are concerned that you are in an unhealthy marriage, Local Marriage Counseling can help you and your spouse navigate your issues. Here are some warning signs that your relationship is moving into an unhealthy space:
- You’re not spending meaningful time together.
- One spouse starts controlling the other.
- You’ve stopped fighting entirely.
- You’re staying in the marriage to minimize negative impacts on your family.
- You’re seeking support from others instead of your spouse.
- You do not feel heard.
- There is a lack of physical intimacy and affection.
It can be overwhelming to realize that your marriage is not the same as it used to be. More often than not, the difference between a rough spot and the end is a couple’s willingness to work through their issues. If you and your partner are interested in salvaging the relationship, both of you need to make a concerted effort. Luckily, you don’t have to go about this on your own. Local Marriage Counseling can help you and your partner communicate better and work through your issues.
Contact Dr. Kuppersmith
Dr. Joel Kuppersmith provides Local Marriage Counseling to help couples strengthen their relationship and overcome issues. Working together with the help of an outside perspective can help you create opportunities for impactful change. Contact Dr. Joel Kuppersmith today to schedule an appointment!
The Benefits of Family Therapy
Family life does not come without difficulties. Our families have a significant influence over who we are and what we become. Many families deal with dysfunction at one time or another. If your family struggles to connect, Local Marriage Counseling at Dr. Joel Kuppersmith’s office may help you work through your differences.
The Benefits of Family Therapy
Family counseling aims to identify and address emotional, behavioral, or psychological issues in the family. When families seek out therapy, it is often because they are not able to resolve their conflict. Conflict can arise in any family, and many families are not well equipped to deal with these issues. Leaving these problems unresolved can lead to a crisis, and when your family reaches a crisis state, it can be detrimental to the family unit. Local Marriage Counseling may benefit you and your family by:
- Offering new understanding.
- Improving your communication skills.
- Providing conflict resolution strategies.
- Strengthening relationships.
- Providing healthy coping skills.
Our office understands that every family interacts differently. There are a few evidence-based treatment approaches that are most often used for family therapy:
- Systemic Therapy – This approach considers the family as a unit, and each member’s actions affect the family as a whole. This approach aims to understand the family processes, how they influence people, and how you can improve interactions.
- Structural Therapy – Based on the idea that emotional concerns in children and teens are connected to dysfunctional family structures. This form of treatment focuses on developing appropriate boundaries and strengthening relationships among family members.
- Strategic Therapy – The goal of this approach is to restructure familial interactions that lead to problematic behaviors. There is also a focus on strengthening positive patterns.
- Psychoeducation – During family therapy, there is often room to learn more about mental health issues that are affecting your relationships.
Contact Us For Local Marriage Counseling
Taking the step to start Local Marriage Counseling can be extremely hard for some people. However, this can be one of the most important decisions you make for yourself and your family. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith has been serving Huntington for over 30 years and is confident that he can help improve your relationships. If you are ready to start family therapy, contact us today!
What Should I Expect During My Marriage Counseling Session?
Admitting you and your spouse both require marriage counseling is a vital and courageous step to take in one’s relationship. While you may feel awkward about airing your dirty laundry out to someone outside of your relationship, this process can be the kick-starter towards starting an open dialogue that will guide you towards a resolution. If you are nervous about going through Local Marriage Counseling, Dr. Joel Kuppersmith would like to shed some light on what you can expect.
Be Ready To Be Uncomfortable:
During your first session of Local Marriage Counseling, it is completely normal to feel unsure about this process. However, you should not let these feelings of uneasiness stop you from reaping the benefits that counseling can bring for you and everyone involved. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith will be able to work through any unsettled feelings present in the first session so you and your spouse can push through and hopefully start seeing results.
Prepare For Questions:
One of the best ways Dr. Joel Kuppersmith will be able to learn more about your relationship is by asking simple questions. Be ready for the first session to primarily consist of you and your spouse discussing a variety of topics. These questions will help our counselor better understand your relationship, as he may ask about:
- Specific aspects of your childhood.
- Where you and your spouse met.
- When you and your spouse began to experience problems.
- Goals you both are looking to achieve through Local Marriage Counseling.
Discussing What Brought You Here:
Along with the questions mentioned above, you will also be asked about the problems that led you to begin a search for counseling. Every couple’s reasoning for counseling will be different, but no reason is outside of the realm of getting to the underlying issue. Common problems experienced by most couples can include:
- Experiencing intimacy issue.
- Going through the same fight or disagreement over and over again.
- Never fighting and ignoring problems that arise.
Setting Goals:
Setting goals based upon your relationship is something that will also happen during your first session of Local Marriage Counseling. It is important to remember that your relationship is always changing, so the goals in your first appointment can be drastically different than the ones set at a later date. No matter the goals, Dr. Joel Kuppersmith will help you reach them happily and healthily.
Contact Dr. Joel Kuppersmith For Local Marriage Counseling:
For over 30 years, Dr. Joel Kuppersmith has been serving the community through his private practice. He is well experienced in Local Marriage Counseling, so you can trust you’ll be in good hands during his sessions. If you and your spouse have decided your relationship has come to the point where marriage counseling is necessary, contact us today for assistance!