3 Reasons to Read Marriage Counseling Books for Couples

Marriage counseling books for couples are extremely beneficial and packed with valuable information. Make no mistake and think that they’re only for those couples who are going through some issues.

Marriage counseling books are for every married couple and must be present on their bookshelves. Knowledge is power and can benefit a marriage in more ways than one.

In today’s world we have easy access to the best marriage help books so why not take advantage of what they have to offer?

Here are three crucial reasons to read couples counseling books.

They teach spouses how to be better

Is marriage a job? No, but it does require some skill. Couples therapy books can help spouses hone their skills by teaching them how to be better spouses. There is always room for improvement.

Those who are married can be more open with their partner, be more affectionate, more appreciative, supportive, and understanding. When both parties take the initiative to be better, the results are amazing.

The best part is the fact that the person you love took the extra step to strengthen the relationship.

Helpful to gain new insights

Reading truly is fundamental and burying your nose in one of the top recommended marriage counseling books can provide more insight on what being married is all about.

Whether you have been married for 2 years or 20 years, chances are you have discovered that there is a lot more to married life than initially expected. It goes way beyond support and understanding.

The right marriage advice books not only provide more insight into marriage but encourages spouses to take a deeper look at themselves. Learning more about yourself promotes healthy relationships.

They teach couples how to resolve common conflicts

Common conflicts are often the biggest problems. Although simple, many couples have a hard time resolving these conflicts and they soon become a constant in the relationship.

The top five areas of conflict for married couples include chores, children, work, money, and sex. Marriage counseling books address these in detail and teach couples how to address them. Conflict is inevitable.

Partners are going to bump heads but there is a healthy way to handle arguments. Argue with the intention of growing closer and gaining understanding rather than to hurt or prove wrong.

Books on marriage counseling – Recommendations

1.Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

‘Five Love Languages’ is one of the best books for marriage counseling,  authored by Gary Chapman which contours the five ways to express and experience love between couples involved romantically.

The five ways summarised by Chapman in this therapy books marriage therapy book are:

• Receiving gifts
• Quality time
• Words of affirmation
• Acts of service or devotion
• Physical touch

This relationship counseling book suggests that one must discern their own way of expressing love to others before uncovering another person’s recipe for love.

The book theorizes that if couples can learn the way their partner expresses love they can enhance how they communicate and also strengthen their relationship.

Since 2009 the book has been on the New York Times Best Seller List and was last revised on January 1, 2015.

2. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

‘The seven principles for making marriage work’ is a marriage counseling book written by John Gottman that presents seven principles to help couples achieve a harmonious and long-lasting relationship.

In this book, Gottman suggests that you can strengthen your marriage by implementing the following principles:

• Enhancing love maps – Improve on how well you understand your partner.
• Nurturing fondness and admiration – Implement the enhanced love map to cultivate appreciation and fondness for your partner.
• Turning towards each other – Trust your partner and be there for each other in times of need.
• Accepting influence – Allow your decisions to be influenced by your partner’s opinions.
• Solving solvable problems – This principle is based on the Gottmans model of conflict resolution.
• Overcoming gridlock – Be willing to explore and overcome hidden issues in your relationship
• Creating shared memory  – Create a sense of shared meaning and understand what it means to be in a marriage.

The book was acclaimed for its harmony with feminist principles. A study also showed that couples reported an improvement in their marriage after reading the book.

3. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’ is one of the classic marriage counseling books. This book was authored by John Gray, an acclaimed American writer and relationship counselor. 

The book emphasizes the fundamental psychological differences between men and women and how this leads to relationship problems between them.

Even the title represents the obvious difference in male and female psychology. It was very well received by readers and was reported to be the highest-ranked work of non-fiction by CNN.

In the book, Gray elaborates on how men and women maintain a balance sheet for giving and receiving love and the manner in which they cope with stress.