And Baby Makes Three? How Couples Counseling Can Help You Transition From Being A Couple To A Family.

Ahh, love! Exciting and new! I simply love to see new love. New couples, new marriages, new families. Just being in a new relationship with someone warrants some adjustments in building and sustaining the relationship, as well as how to adapt to changes in your own life. Being a couple means there is now a new family system. The new family system involves yours and your partner’s personal ideas, expectations, values, beliefs and worldviews. These are shaped by your family of origin. Now you must also redefine your goals which may involve compromise. Couples counseling can help you learn new problem-solving skills, how to set these new goals, form boundaries and know when and how to put the needs of your partner before your own. Ok, now we’ve got the new love, new couple thing down to a science (maybe). Let’s move on.

Now, you have the wonder of a new life entering into the equation. Know that this new life will affect your finances, lifestyle, recreational activities, sexuality, friendships, and even your relationships with your in-laws. Parenting can be one of the most rewarding and most challenging phases of the family life cycle and will affect everything in your life. And so it should. There is nothing more precious than new life.

Introducing a child into your family can also result in major changes in roles for you and your partner as an individual, a partner, a couple, and now, a parent. While this is a joyous occasion, it can also be a stressful one for both parents. Mentioning any concerns to your couple’s counselor as well as your physician and/or obstetrician can help you manage these new challenges and reduce stress.

Continuing to express your individuality while working together as a couple and as new parents can result in an even stronger marriage. The health and well-being of your child rests on your ability to promote a safe, loving, and organized environment for them. Couples counseling can help keep you on track as you venture into this new and wonderful territory of parenthood.