The History of Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling, or what is now referred to as couple therapy or relationship counseling, began some time in the 1930s. During this time, it was a new concept that did not have a solid theoretical base in its major assumptions and principles. By the late 1970s, it was said that the field was "showing signs of maturing," and by 1980, the trend was said to have reached "young adulthood" (see References: Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling).
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Significance
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Due to its significance in personal and cultural values and a more balanced approach to interpersonal factors in couple relationships, the emphasis on institutionalized conflict resolution was recognized in the mental health and social sciences. Some issues that professional therapists deal with pertain to marital infidelity (extramarital affairs), pending divorce, substance abuse, domestic violence, same-gender relationship issues, cultural clashes, finances, unemployment, blended families, and communication problems, as well as many other subjects that couples deal with in an attempt to live harmoniously or at least in objective disagreement.
The American Family Therapy Academy
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The American Family Therapy Academy, now called the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), was founded in the late 1970s. The organization's philosophy was that marriage and family therapy were two separate areas, each with their own histories, concepts and differing practices. The AAMFT no longer holds to that theory and often includes family in marital counseling therapy.
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What is Marriage Counseling?
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Sometimes marriage counseling involves the entire family, especially minor children who may ultimately suffer loss and grieving when their parents are going through a separation or divorce, though they have no say in the final outcome. Marriage counseling is said to have died a politically administrative death in the late 1970s due to its auxiliary concern with professionals who had other pressing commitments. Since the 1970s, marriage counseling was changed to couples or relationship counseling to be inclusive of same-gender couples and couples who are unmarried or thinking of getting married.
Reasons for Marriage (or Relationship) Counseling
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Partners in distressed relationships often find themselves burdened with increased chances of suffering from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, acute and chronic medical problems and disabilities, such as nervous system disorders and loss of sleep and appetite, among many other problems. Children directly or indirectly involved with these psychologically exhausting times of life are also prone to anxiety, depression, health, conduct and behavioral issues. While marriage counseling is not always helpful, its primary purpose is to provide tertiary intervention when couples discover communication to be difficult or impossible.
Marital Disharmony Versus Individual Mindsets
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Part of the history of discovering how best to go about marriage counseling stemmed from differing schools of thought that favored delving into individual mindsets rather than seeing the couple as one functioning unit. "Quid pro quo" was the cornerstone concept in couple therapy methodology. It was used to lay the groundwork for the early development of behavior marital therapy and is still considered classic textbook theory in handling the "unconscious effort of both partners to assure themselves that they are equals, that they are peers...it [enables] each to preserve his dignity and self-esteem" (see References: The Mirages of Marriage). Quid pro quo is a set of ground rules used to preserve intact the idea of individuality while dealing with the collective bargaining that takes place in marital relationships.
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