According to the latest statistics provided by the Institute of Psychology nearly 50% of first marriages end in divorce and that percentage rises for second (63%) and third (75%) marriages.  The decision to seek marital therapy often comes at a difficult and sensitive time in a couple's relationship.   A couple may be struggling with the stress of raising children, infidelity, substance abuse, or basic difficulties with communication.  

The first one to two sessions with your therapist will be spent collecting information, identifying goals, and gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of the relationship.  The therapist may wish to meet with both members of the relationship concurrently or may ask each partner to attend individual sessions.  The therapist will also likely assign "homework" to the couple to be done outside of sessions.   Working with a therapist will assist you in learning the skills to improve your relationship including improving communication, identifying problem solving skills, and learning ways to discuss differences in a fair and calm way.  Through therapy each partner will think about and analyze both the good and bad parts of your relationship as you pinpoint and better understand the sources of conflict.