Okay, so my partner and I, we’ve been hitting a bit of a rough patch lately. Nothing major, you know, but just… not clicking like we used to. We decided it was time to get some professional help, find a marriage counselor. I’ve never done anything like this before, so, honestly, I was kinda clueless about where to start.
First Steps: Asking Around
First thing I did was ask around. I hit up a couple of close friends who I knew had been to counseling before. I figured, why not start with people I trust, right? One friend gave me a name, but they were booked solid for like, three months. Another friend had a less-than-stellar experience, so that was a no-go.
Diving into Online Searches
So, after striking out with my friends, I turned to the internet. I started with general searches, stuff like “marriage counselor near me” and “best relationship therapy”. Man, was that overwhelming! So many options, so many websites… It was hard to know who was legit and who wasn’t.
I realized pretty quickly that I needed to narrow things down. I started looking at a few factors:
- Specializations: Did they specialize in marriage counseling, or were they more general therapists? We specifically needed someone with experience in couples’ issues.
- Approach: I read up a little on different therapy approaches. Some seemed too touchy-feely for us, while others seemed too clinical. We wanted something in the middle, someone who was practical and solution-focused.
- Reviews: I spent a good chunk of time reading online reviews. I took them with a grain of salt, of course, but they did give me a sense of what other people’s experiences were like.
Making Contact and Getting a Feel
After a few hours of online digging, I had a shortlist of about five counselors. I started calling and emailing. Some didn’t get back to me (which was a red flag, honestly), but a few did.
Here’s what I looked for during those initial calls/emails:
- Responsiveness: Did they get back to me quickly?
- Professionalism: Did they sound organized and professional?
- Comfort Level: Did I feel comfortable talking to them, even on the phone? This was a big one.
The First Consultation
We ended up booking a consultation with a counselor who seemed like a good fit based on her website and our initial phone call. It was a bit nerve-wracking, walking into that office for the first time, but she immediately put us at ease.
The consultation was key. It gave us a chance to:
- Meet the counselor in person.
- Ask questions about her approach and experience.
- See if we felt a connection with her.
- Get practical details like price.
We asked about session fees, and insurance coverage, which she explained clearly.
Making the Decision
After the consultation, my partner and I talked it over. We both felt good about this counselor. She seemed to “get” us, you know? We felt like we could trust her, and that was huge. So, we decided to book a few sessions and see how it went.
It’s still early days, but I’m feeling optimistic. Finding the right counselor was a process, for sure, but taking the time to do it right was definitely worth it. I think taking it step by step made things a lot easier, and now we are where we needed to be.
