Before we can address the question, “does marriage counselling work?” it would be helpful to discuss how marriage counseling, as it is currently practiced, evolved over time. Modern marriage family therapy programs came to prominence in the late 1960s and 70s as divorce rates skyrocketed. The didactic methodology employed prior to that point by marriage “therapists,” who were typically clergy members, medical doctors, or social workers, involved treating one spouse at a time to whom concrete direction and rules for self betterment were imparted. In regards to this old school didactic sort of marriage therapy, the answer to the question, “does marriage counselling work?” is generally no.

In contrast, when ask (more…)