For couples, having a shared, overarching parenting style greatly reduces opportunities for conflict. Children, in turn, benefit from the safety and security that a “united front” provides. Taking the time to discuss parenting issues as they arise can be a the pathway to preserving the relationship despite disagreements about parenting.

Today the signs of infidelity in a relationship can be hard to recognize. There are so just many ways to communicate with others, unseen, in our tech savvy world. Three common forms of infidelity are sexual, financial and emotional.

Couples counseling can provide an opportunity to create a different kind of relationship. By admitting that help is needed and acknowledging the failure to meet the expectation of perfection of our culture and others around you, there is an opportunity to return to that initial moment: The moment of being chosen. And to start over.

Before you even started this process called “having a family,” you might have heard that the addition of a child brings many joys….and that it will likely also forever alter your bond with your partner. You would be in good company if you are finding that things are more strained with your partner now, than ever before.

Many new dads experience a wide range of emotions during their partner’s pregnancy and afterwards in the postpartum. Some dads muddle through this phase and come out on the other side just fine. But for others, this distressing time becomes a new way of being - and it doesn’t have to be that way.

Discernment counseling can help couples who are are teetering on the edge of separation to move forward from this “stuck” place by asking them to make a clear decision among three pathways: 1) remaining together without commitment to make changes, 2) separation or 3) commitment to couples therapy.

Many couples meet through common friends, work colleagues or family members. Parenting companions often support a couple during the years of raising children. Maintaining existing connections and forming new ones outside the relationship provides important support in long term relationships.

Many young couples today struggle to determine whether to have children, what the time frame should be, and whether they can even afford the children they desire. They worry about the world their children will be entering. Despite the uncertainties, remaining hopeful and positive can help.