Relationships are often the most important and yet difficult areas of our lives. How we get along with a spouse or partner or family member often affects our outlooks on life-it can affect our sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life, our sense of happiness or despair, our sense of self-worth or worthlessness. When our relationships are going well, they can be part of us feeling glad to be alive, and they can help us to cope with other problems in life, perhaps at work, or with our health, or with crises in the world. However, when our important relationships break down -- when the communication stops with our partner, or when we are constantly fighting with our children, or when the relationship feels like it has become "every man for him- or herself," then we can often feel lost, angry, at sea. It is at those times when a psychologist who is trained at helping couples and families can be extremely valuable.

What might a couple or family gain from working with a psychologist? Although it is not realistic to expect a "quick fix" (even if it's understandable that you might desire one), a psychologist, by bringing his or her expertise in human relationships, and by creating a safe, structured environment, can help you and your partner or family member(s) to work through the problems in your relationship. Where needed, your psychologist can help each person to develop better communication and conflict resolution skills. A psychologist can facilitate partners and family members in seeing each other's point of view so that each person's feelings are understood and respected, and so that each person's needs hopefully can be met. A psychologist, in addition to working with couples or families, can also help you to determine if other forms of treatment, such as individual psychotherapy, or a consultation for medication, or a consult with a school counselor or other allied health professional might be useful.

While, marital, couples or family therapy - like most forms of psychotherapy - can be a challenging process that asks each person to deal openly with important, personal issues, the rewards can often be a renewed sense that a marriage, a relationship, a family is back on track, and that your connections with loved ones, rather than simply being a source of stress, or sadness, or anger, can instead nurture your lives and enrich them.