Certainly there are both benefits & risks involved in your participation in the counseling experience. While participants desire the benefits of personal growth, insight, & positive life changes, as well as growth in couple, marital, & family relationships, it is important to be aware of the potential for risks as well.
1. Counseling may reveal new concerns not identified before, or add new issues to original ones. Enter the counseling relationship prepared to accept such a risk, and to respond via the counseling process.
2. Making changes through therapy may bring about unforeseen changes in a person’s life.
3. Individual issues may surface for each spouse as clients work on a marital relationship.
4. Marital or family conflicts may intensify as feelings are expressed.
5. Changes in relationship patterns that result from family therapy may produce unpredicted and/or possibly adverse responses from others in the client’s social system.
6. Individuals in marital or family therapy may find that spouses or family members are not willing to change.
7. Studies suggest that counseling involving only one spouse can lead to the dissolution of the relationship instead of improving it.
8. It may be discovered that the best path for growth is termination of an existing relationship.
Counseling Services available in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Online Therapy Statewide.
