Premarital Counseling

8 Signs of a Toxic Relationship

2025-09-24T06:49:41+00:00September 24th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Individual Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Toxic relationships can leave emotional scars, not only physical ones. You should know the signs of a toxic relationship to recognize those red flags in your own relationship or the relationship of someone you love. Eight Signs of a Toxic Relationship There are eight common signs of a toxic relationship. Your relationship does not need to display all eight signs to be unhealthy and traumatic. Yours may only display one or two. For example, your significant other may not control the finances or talk badly about you behind your back (as far as you know), but this person makes mean comments and sometimes hits you or demands sex from you. This is abuse and should be dealt with carefully. Once you recognize the signs of toxicity in your own relationship, you may need professional help to resolve it. You may need law enforcement, legal counsel, family law (if you have children), and counseling to move through the trauma and start fresh. A Christian counselor can walk you through the steps and help you end a toxic relationship. Read more to learn eight signs of a toxic relationship. Tells Others You are “Crazy” An abuser needs sympathy from others. They want the focus on them and for people to understand what they are “dealing” with at home. An abuser will tell others you are crazy, hard to live with, or hostile toward them. These are often lies to remove your credibility and to gain sympathy for themselves. This can also trigger isolation as other people distance themselves from you. Lies to Gain Sympathy An abuser may exaggerate or outright lie about you to others to gain sympathy. They crave attention but do not want their narrative questioned. They may do whatever they can to keep you isolated and limit the [...]

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Understanding Each Other’s Family Dynamics Through Premarital Counseling

2024-10-25T09:02:24+00:00October 18th, 2024|Couples Counseling, Featured, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Premarital counseling is a common practice and has become a staple in many faith-based communities for good reasons. It helps couples prepare not just for their wedding day, but for the lifelong journey that follows. Some studies have shown that couples who go through premarital counseling have a lower instance of divorce than those who don’t. When doing premarital counseling for couples with children from other relationships, most pastors or therapists prepare couples by helping them learn better communication skills or how to adjust expectations for their new married lives. Still, many fail to discuss the importance of family dynamics and the process of becoming a stepfamily with their engaged clients. Many stepfamilies receive no premarital preparation whatsoever. Mature brides and grooms don’t see the need for counseling as most of their first-time married counterparts do. And when they do receive counseling, it typically follows the same framework used for first-time married couples. While this might be helpful to a certain extent, it doesn’t address the targeted support they need to address the complexities of blending families. This might leave the couple feeling unprepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Tips for effective premarital counseling To address these challenges, effective premarital counseling for blended families should include: Talking with the children Including children in the discussion about the new family structure and the wedding can make the transition smoother. Children who feel involved and heard are more likely to embrace the new family dynamic positively. Adjusting expectations Couples should recalibrate their expectations about family bonding. Blending families takes time and patience, and recognizing this can help them avoid unrealistic expectations. Acknowledging grief Recognizing and addressing the grief children (and sometimes even the couple themselves) may feel from past losses helps to build stronger bonds between stepparents and children. Establishing [...]

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