Marriage counseling involves the married partners sitting in a comfortable room and discussing their
relational situation with regard to three things; their thoughts, their feelings, and their behaviors. The
marriage counselor, through the use of counseling techniques, can help the couple discuss their situation
in a way that serves to provide them with a fresh perspective oriented toward positive change and the
accomplishment of their therapeutic goals. The steps of marriage counseling are as follows: (1)
Establishing rapport with your new therapist?ie., getting to know and trust your new therapist; (2)
Identifying problem areas that the couple mutually wants to change; (3) Evaluating the accomplishment
of the therapeutic goals over time; (4) Adjusting therapeutic goals if indicated by new insights and
perspectives; (5) Therapeutic termination after goals have been mutually determined to have been
satisfactorily accomplished. Counseling can be terminated at any time. It is encouraged for termination
to be discussed with the therapist so that the couple can get the most out of their counseling experience.