Every art form has capitalized on our heightened fascination with the passion that comes from love at first sight. Romantic movies and even cartoons seek to find ways of portraying your beating heart and widening eyes during those initial moments of bliss in a relationship.
Sadly, when it comes to relationships, modern society has taken cues from these fictional situations and have used them to create of an idealized romantic narrative. For newlyweds, this is popularly referred to as the “honeymoon phase.”
Why the honeymoon phase is a myth worth busting
The reality is that the initial excitement one feels in matrimony wears off for most real-life couples when confronted with the strains of daily life. Meal prep, work schedules, household chores, and even personal hygiene tend to take the shine off of what pop-culture has taught us to expect out of our long-term relationships.
To some, this may sound like a negative quality to new love. This, however, does not need to be the case. For those who need guidance, or those who feel let down when the initial attraction of new romance wears off, all is not lost. Long-married couples, relationship counselors, and behavior specialists say that this intermediary stage to marriage is when the depth and breadth of a partnership actually begins to emerge.
Although some couples may throw in the towel once the newness wears off, many who make it work have discovered the wisdom of seeking professional advice to help cope with the inevitable end of the honeymoon phase of your relationship.
If you are facing this type of dilemma, then you and your spouse may benefit from a an experienced couples counselor.
Does couples counseling work?
There are two sides to every story. The same can be said for the perspectives of two unique individuals who decide to forge their lives together. From the mundane decisions to the bigger ones, , there will often be situations where you and your new spouse will fail to see eye to eye.
This is where an experienced, professional relationship counselor with a 75% success rate can help explore and resolve your situation.
What are the benefits of premarital counseling?
In contrast to couples counseling (which typically occurs after marriage when problems begin to arise), premarital counseling is a modern approach for savvy couples that realize maintaining a healthy marriage takes work and preparation.
Couples may hesitate to engage the services of a counselor before marriage has even started. In fact, many individuals see counseling as a stigma or a sign that something is broken in their relationship. These misconceptions could not be further from the truth.
Often occurring after engagement or in anticipation of marriage, premarital counseling teaches valuable communication and partnership skills. It gives you an opportunity to discuss with your soon-to-be spouse issues that might arise as a married couple. You get to explore areas like each other’s history, current finances, and goals so that you are on the same proverbial page and feel more comfortable moving forward with the relationship.
Talking through expectations and developing communication and loving negotiation skills can be a valuable asset for couples and can help remove much of the emotional reactionary nature that minor disputes often bring about.
The honeymoon is just the beginning
For newlyweds, the prospect of the initial spark in a relationship eventually dying out can bring about moments of doubt. In reality, however, the end of the honeymoon phase of your marriage is only the beginning of your journey together and something deeper than typically portrayed in movies or novels.
You have to consider the big picture of your marriage. It is not just you and your spouse that makes marriage significant. Rather, as the big picture shows, it is a network of which you are a part. It is you, your spouse, your families, your friends, and eventually your children. Moreover, when your children attend school, you become friends with the parents of your kids’ friends, growing your network and making marriage even more significant.
Thus, when the feeling of your marriage’s newness fades, do not think of it as a loss. Instead, turn that feeling into something else just as meaningful. Think again of the big picture, and remember that you can accomplish great things a little bit at a time.
For more information
You are not in this alone. If you want more information about couples counseling or premarital counseling in Little Rock, then contact the Arkansas Relationship Counseling Center for expert guidance customized to your individual concerns.
