How counseling can help.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Marriage counseling can help couples in all types of intimate relationships — heterosexual or homosexual, married or not.

Some couples seek marriage counseling to strengthen their bonds and gain a better understanding of each other. Marriage counseling can also help couples who plan to get married. This pre-marriage counseling can help couples achieve a deeper understanding of each other and iron out differences before marriage.

In other cases, couples seek marriage counseling to improve a troubled relationship. You can use marriage counseling to address many specific issues, including:

* Communication problems

* Sexual difficulties

* Conflicts about child rearing or blended families

* Substance abuse

* Financial problems

* Anger

* Infidelity

* Divorce

Marriage counseling may also be helpful in cases of domestic abuse. If violence has escalated to the point that you're afraid, however, counseling isn't adequate. Contact the police or a local shelter or crisis center for emergency support.