Faith-based Marriage Counseling: What Makes It Different (And Why It Works)

Marriage journey is not easy for many couples; many of them show loss when difficulties arrive in their life. They highlight arguments related to financial issues, communication problems, work stress, and the cumulative weight of stress in life, which can erode the foundation of a loving relationship. 

When these challenges become overwhelming, some couple wants to reconnect and enjoy intimacy, so they seek faith counselling because they believe in religion.

While trying to reconnect, many couples ask us: What is faith-based marriage counselling? Actually, faith-based counseling is a special form of counseling that combines both spiritual and traditional counseling to address people’s problems using a shared spiritual perspective. Faith-based marriage works more effectively because it benefits people in both spiritual and emotional ways.

Difference Between Faith-Based Counselling And Secular Counseling

Faith-based marriage is different from secular marriage because secular marriage heals the people in the physiological facts and through science-based methods. At the same time, faith-based marriage guides the couple by scripture and faithful values. This makes it meaningful for those who want to have faith in their relationship. 

Instead of relying on the scientific method, faith counseling is a good option for guidance for faithful people because it heals individuals through the power of holy texts, prayers, and traditions as part of the process.

Reasons To Choose Faith Counseling

Let’s discuss all the reasons and the benefits of choosing faith counselling over secular counselling. This will help you choose the right counselling type to rebuild your relationship. 

Mutual Belief System

Marriage-based counselling examines the scientific and psychological aspects. In contrast, faith-based marriage counselling seeks to heal the couple and improve the intimacy through the guidance of spiritual practices and religious beliefs.

Guidance from the Holy Books

Almost every religion teaches its people to live as a perfect couple and guides them through their holy book. Scholars are also present to guide couples who are not close and want to regain the intimacy in their lives. They help people through guidance, sacred books, and traditional methods.

Balanced Healing

Traditional counseling addresses a couple’s thinking and heals them with scientific techniques. However, faith-based counselling is totally different from traditional counselling, as it tackles the couple’s healing.

Shared Values and Morality

This teaches people how to handle conflicts and the golden principles for living and strengthening their relationships. Shared values and morality teach them how to handle their problems and how to raise their family. This creates a strong spirit for living a healthier life than the typical counselling.

Unified Goal

In faith-based marriage counselling, couples are guided to observe their relationship more than just living together, and it helps them face tough times together. This provides an opportunity to develop and make it a personal relationship. Additionally, it strengthens their motivation to tackle their problems together and find solutions. This is the name of working together and attaining happiness in life.

Positive Outlook

It gives hope to the couple to make their relationship happier instead of losing it. It creates challenges for the couple, which both face, and these challenges strengthen their relationship. Instead of losing hope, it encouraged them to persevere through the meaningless difficulties as part of a larger plan guided by their faith.

Community Support

In this couple are guided to visit other places, such as scholars, churches, temples, or mosques, where people are present to guide them. So they don’t feel alone, as many groups of people are present to guide them and help with their problems.

Offers Long-Term Guidance

This helps them after the session; if they face any problems, they can reconnect with them, unlike short therapies. This allows them to change their behaviour and guide them according to holy books like the Bible, which provide details, and scholars of these books may help them better in that way.

Integrating Beliefs

This helps people not only in their emotional thinking ability but also in their daily lifestyle, such as managing money, solving disagreements, raising children, and navigating family life, which will be beneficial to them. Instead of living a separate faith, this type of counseling helps them to overcome problems and guides them to live with a constant faith.

Using spiritual tools

This helps people by teaching the basic to advanced rules of the religion, as every religion supports the happiness of couples. If any couple faces troubles and goes for faith therapy, they receive spiritual tools. They asked them to pray to God and seek help.

Forgiveness

Faith-based marriage counseling is different from other counseling as it not only helps people emotionally but also teaches them to forgive each other in life. Everyone makes mistakes in life, and forgiving each other is a powerful technique to make any relationship strong and happy.

Who Is It For Faith-Based Marriage Counselling?

This is not suitable for every couple, as everyone has different thinking capabilities. Some have little belief in it, some have moderate belief, and some have strong belief. Belief is for the third one, those who have a strong faith in the religion. Where both partners show a deeper faith, they tend to seek faith counseling to gain intimacy in life.


Tips During Counseling

  • It’s a time to work together. Consider a couple’s counselling; you must share your goals.
  • Talk openly about your problem and difficulties that you are facing, and be honest with yourself and with your partner.
  • Faith-based counselling emphasizes the importance of patience and forgiveness in practical life. Letting go of the past hurts, but moving forward is essential. So when you learn it so apply it in your daily life.
  • Make positive changes in the daily routine.
  • Making an effort to utilize spiritual tools like prayer, scripture reading, or meditation.
  • Listen to your partner carefully if you disagree with them, and then give your comment in a soft tone so that your partner doesn’t mind.
  • Be attentive when selecting a consultant. He must be knowledgeable about both secular and faith-based counseling.
  • He has been licensed as a concealer.
  • The best way to find a good counselor is through word of mouth.
  • Trust your gut during the first session. If you feel scared, then trust it; it can work. Every start is painful.

Conclusion

Faith-based marriage counselling is helpful as it provides healing by blending both emotional and spiritual aspects, based on deep core beliefs. Unlike secular counselling, it sees marriage from a different perspective, as a sacred covenant, not just as a couple. It gives motivation to work together through the problems and tough times. Carefully listen to your counselor and apply what they are saying practically. You may face trouble, but then believe in yourself and your counselor. If he suggests something, it is for your benefit.

FAQ

What is faith-based counselling?

It is a type of counseling in which people with strong faith in religions go for couples therapy when they feel stress and troubles in life.

What is the best kind of marriage counseling?

The most common and effective method for couples counselling is the Gottman Method, which incorporates IFT and Imago Relationship Therapy.

What exactly happens in marriage counseling?

Sometimes, good guidance saves you from the harmful impacts, and in the same way, marriage counselling also plays a similar role to make your life healthier.

What is the most successful form of couples therapy?

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a common and successful form of couples therapy.

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Farhan Taimoor