The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC Going to marriage counseling isn’t always easy. Sometimes clients can leave counseling after a couple of sessions with more questions than they walked in with. Before counseling it is common for one or both partners to question whether the problem is me, my spouse or some other dynamic that is causing issues. Some problems are clear cut such as cheating or addictions, however, sometimes the problem is due to personality and interactions.   What most couples do not recognize is that the problem is usually both of them. They are failing to realize that the main client in couples counseling is the relationship itself. Every person has their own “stuff” and it’s up to each person to handle their stuff. If you own it, then you are challenged to take responsibility for it. The same goes for your relationship. Going to counseling is the first step of taking responsibility for your marriage. However, the counselor’s office is not the place to start blaming the...

 By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC Couples go to relationship or marriage counseling to resolve problems to improve their relationship with each other. A host of problems can arise during a marriage anywhere from poor communication to infidelity. Marriage and a committed relationship require dedication and at times can be hard work for the relationship to feel good. However, sometimes relationships can be painful leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Counseling can be helpful for clients who are facing divorce. But helpful does not always equal success. If the counseling office is the last-ditch effort to save the marriage, then counseling can feel like it’s already at a loss before it even begins. This can put a lot of pressure on the counselor who is faced with a difficult position to help save a failing marriage. If counseling does not work, then it’s divorce.    Couples who went to counseling on the way to divorce court frequently feel like counseling was a failu...

Understanding how to manage the political power struggles that put winning an argument ahead of saving a relationship. Right fighting is the process psychologists use to describe arguing to prove who is ‘right’ in a political debate. These hostile conflicts have been growing with frequency and intensity in many homes since the 2020 Presidential election.   Families have been in bitter disputes to attack their relative’s belief about political issues – often shattering the relationship in the process. “My son specifically told me, ‘You are no longer my mother, because you voted for that guy’.”   Our last conversation was so bitter I am not sure we could ever reconcile… the damage is done. It is sad. There are people not talking to me anymore, and I’m not sure that will change.” – Mayra Gomez, Los Angeles, (as reported to Reuters News Service) The fight to prove what someone believes to be best for millions of people in the country has rippled over into private homes – s...