Marital therapy can help couples get over some rough spots – but it’s not a cure-all. There are many causes for a marriage to start crumbling. Therapy is a good start, but it won’t overcome every problem

If you are seeking marriage therapy then you should know the risks to ensure that you don’t drag out a failed marriage. Here’s what you should know:

1. It’s difficult to find the right marriage therapist

Not every therapist can help a marriage – just like how not every marriage is built to last. Therapists often have expertise in a specific field of study that may not fit the structure of your marriage. The problems of your marriage may be beyond the scope of your therapist’s understanding.

Many people switch between many therapists before finding the one that fits them. Your marriage may not be built to last the back-and-forth process of finding the perfect marriage therapist.

2. Marriage therapy requires a mutual commitment to fix a relationship

Therapy can take months or years before it shows signs of affecting your marriage. Therapists may ask for cooperation from both you and your spouse to mend marital problems. This could mean taking time out of the day to talk about each other’s daily activities. Your spouse may find it difficult to make the same commitment to your marriage.

3. Personal therapy should come before couples therapy

Many problems in a marriage may be the result of habits and trauma your spouse had before your relationship. They may act out or hide how they feel about your marriage because of personal issues. Your spouse may need to begin their own therapy before you seek to solve issues in the marriage.

You may find marriage therapy isn’t working out. You may even find your marriage degrading shortly after marriage therapy. If your marriage isn’t healing then you may need to seek experienced help to walk you through the divorcing process.