There just is no one size fits all solution to a marriage in crisis. Over the years, I have developed skills in techniques that are effective for dealing with the specific issues that different couples go through. Here are some services that I offer to assist couples in crisis.
Discernment Counseling
Discernment counseling is …
- a new kind of counseling aimed at helping couples address ambivalence (or indecision) about remaining together.
- a space created for couples struggling to decide on a path for their marriage.
- brief – maximum of five sessions, often less.
Discernment Counseling Offers …
- More clarity and confidence in deciding the future of your marriage
- More understanding of what happened to your marriage and the part each of you has played in the problems
- A game plan for change if you decide to work on the marriage
- A set of learnings that you can carry with you into future relationships if you end this one, and a better chance to be good co-parents if you have children.
Are you on the fence about staying together or divorcing?
- Does one person want to try and make things work, while the other is ready to move on?
- Do children or other important factors need to be considered?
- How can you move forward?
- Do you have to compromise?
Want more information on Discernment Counseling? Huffington Post Article on Discernment Counseling: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Closure Counseling
- Have you decided to divorce or exit the relationship?
- Do you want to maintain a good line of communication with your soon to be former partner to…
- Co-parent effectively or
- Continue productive business or social interaction?
- Understand what happened so you can recover more fully?
Closure counseling facilitates healthy communication and minimizes the pain of divorce for all involved.
Individual Counseling – Focused on the Relationship
- If your partner is unable or unwilling to pursue counseling, you can still engage in one-on-one counseling to:
- Learn skills that may help shift the relationship without your partner attending
- Send a clear message that you are willing to do your part to help the relationship
- Find ways to appreciate your partner’s perspective
- Open the possibility of couples counseling in the future.
Couples Counseling
Perhaps you and your partner have already committed to trying to sort out your differences through some counseling sessions together. Couples counseling offers you a chance to prioritize improving your relationship together. When was the last time you carved out time from your busy life to focus on what each of you can bring to the table to make the marriage succeed?
Self-Help and Additional Resources
- Making the Decision: A Guided Workbook [Book]
- A lot of good resources about marriage and divorce
- Should I Try to Work it Out?: A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce
- The Divorce Remedy: The proven 7-Step Program for Saving Your Marriage
- Fighting for Your Marriage
- Getting the Love You Want
About Dr. Winters
Hi, I’m Michael Winters. I grew up in a big family (fourteen children – two parents). I guess you could say I’ve always been interested in relationships- how they work, why they work, and why they sometimes don’t. I’m a licensed psychologist and marriage counselor, practicing for over twenty-five years and have counseled hundreds of couples and individuals concerned about repairing or deciding to exit their relationship. I’ve been fortunate to present many workshops and classes for couples (often with, Kelly Penrod, to whom I am married.) Additionally, I’ve published professional articles on couples counseling and finding meaning in relationships. As a counselor, I continue to look for better ways to help people navigate difficult challenges – which is one of the reasons I’m excited about bringing these new, innovative counseling methods to couples struggling to make decisions about their marriages. You can find out more about me here.