To find a Marriage Counselor to help with marriage problems is not all that difficult. In fact, marriage counselors in large cities like Chicago are plentiful. Once the decision has been made to find a counselor, your next step is to begin a therapist search. You will want someone who is trained and experienced in dealing with the problems you are having, as well as someone with whom you feel comfortable and who has fees you can afford.
Finding a marriage counselor may take some time and effort, but good results from therapy depend a lot on working with the right counseling professional.
Looking for a Marriage or Couples Counselor is a Private Experience
Because looking for a marriage or couples counselor is usually is a private, personal experience, your best and perhaps most confidential search tool will be the Internet. Using a search engine, such as Google, you can input something like the following into the search box: "therapist + my city". Again, this is just an example. If you live in a small town, you will you may have to search in a town that is closeby but larger than yours.
Because looking for a marriage counselor usually is a private, personal experience, your best and perhaps most confidential search tool will be the Internet. Using a search engine, such as Google, you can input something like the following into the search box: "Chicago Marriage Counselor". Again, this is just an example. If you live in another city, you will want to input your home town.
Does the therapist have experience with the issue you are looking to get help with? Does the counselor have a certain counseling approach? If so, what is it?
marriage counselor accept your insurance? What are the marriage counselor's hours of availability? Does the marriage counselor seem warm and caring?
Two Approaches to Mental Health
The two main kinds of mental health treatments are talk therapies and medication therapies. Talk therapies and medication therapies can reduce depression, anxiety, and troubling feelings and behaviors. Medications address the biological and chemical aspects of mental illnesses. Talk therapies can teach you to make changes in the ways you relate to other people. They can also help you learn to understand and manage symptoms and cope effectively with stress.
Tips & Suggestions:
Here are some additional tips that relate to various titles of counselors:
Psychiatrists: These are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental or psychiatric illnesses. They have medical training and are licensed to prescribe drugs. They are also trained in psychotherapy, or "talk" therapy, which aims to change a person's behaviors or thought patterns.
Psychologists: These are doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) experts in psychology. They study the human mind and human behavior and are also trained in counseling, psychotherapy, and psychological testing -- which can help uncover emotional problems you may not realize you have.
Social Workers: These are specialists that provide social services in health-related settings that now are governed by managed care organizations. Their goal is to enhance and maintain a person's psychological and social functioning -- they provide empathy and counseling on interpersonal problems. Social workers help people function at their best in their environment, and they help people deal with relationships and solve personal and family problems.
Licensed Professional Counselors. These counselors are required by state licensure laws to have at least a master's degree in counseling and 3,000 hours of post-master's experience. They are either licensed or certified to independently diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, says W. Mark Hamilton, PhD, executive director of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
To find a therapist in Chicago or elsewhere means being open about personal things going on in your life. Counselors can help a wide range of problems, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, self-esteem issues, issues of aging, emotional health, and family, aging, and marital or other relationship problems. They often work closely with other mental health specialists. Once you have settled on a particular marriage counselor, give yourself time to adjust to the counseling process and don't expect change to happen quickly.
Consider premarital counseling before getting married. This can help prevent issues from becoming a problem in the first place.
Working with a therapist may be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.
Mr. Goodguy writes about mental health issues, counseling and wellness issues and is consultant with Chicago Lakeview Psychotherapy.
