Mediating modern marriage: A role for marriage counselling?

Rather than an indication of lifetime commitment, the predominant form of marriage in western societies is ‘companionate’. It is held together by personal and emotional considerations rather than by traditional influences. The pursuit of personal satisfaction is a central factor in marital relationships and, as a result, marriage has become less secure than hitherto. One result of this is the growth of counselling services which aim to assist couples through the process of negotiating relationships or in coming to terms with the emotional distress of failing to do so. This paper attempts to address some of the concerns about the supposed lack of research on the impact of counselling. It focuses on evaluation of marriage counselling provided by Relate: Marriage Guidance. The evidence suggests counselling can help couples renegotiate their relationships and help them through the personal anxieties connected with relationship problems. It clearly has a role to play in helping people through the complexities of companionate marriage, although it does not work for everyone and many couples who start counselling do not complete the process. The research identifies key areas in need of further attention.