When I decided that I wanted to go into the field of Family Studies, there were a lot of options for my future career. I originally thought I would continue to pursue the training I needed to become a music therapist. I wanted to work with Alzheimer’s patients, after some very personal experiences with my grandpa. Further, into my schooling, I considered becoming a preschool teacher, but only for a short time.
It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted to work with families, and more specifically, married couples. Just like there are a lot of career options in the Family Studies field, there are a lot of ways to work to better family and marriage relationships as well. I have chosen the path of a Family Life Educator because that’s what’s right for me. But I thought I’d fill you in on those other ways that professionals choose to work with families. Not only to give you a look into my profession. But to give you an idea of the resources out there available to help you strengthen your relationship.
A family life educator works with individuals, couples, and families. They teach and provide them with tools they can use to create strong, healthy relationships in all areas of their life. Family life educators generally teach in a group setting. The exercises and tools that they teach are more general and can be used by everyone.
As a family life educator, I strive to help married couples take a proactive approach to their relationship. I want to inspire them to put in the work needed to make their relationship strong, long before things become an issue. Statistically, couples wait six years from the time their problems start to get help. By that point, things can be so difficult that it’s a lot of work, and not always fun, to get back to that healthy relationship.
My view on marriage and family life education is that it is a fun and helpful way to learn how to function better in the various relationships in our lives. It’s exciting to me to be able to share things from an educational and personal point of view. Letting people know that I’m learning as well. And I know the things that I’m teaching work, from my own personal experience as well as from research and education.
Family life educators are unique individuals who are passionate about what they do. We want to share our passion with others and help to make the world a better place, one person, one couple, and one family at a time.
A relationship coach works with both single people and couples. They help people improve their relationships by identifying and reaching their goals. Coaches are often trained and certified through some sort of coaching school. There are all types of coaches out there. But if you’re looking for a coach to help you improve your marriage, you’ll want to search specifically for a relationship and/or marriage coach.
I get asked often if I offer marriage coaching. I know that it’s something that a lot of influencers who focus on marriage do. Coaching isn’t something that I have chosen to do now, or in the foreseeable future. There’s a fine line between coaching and therapy and I prefer to avoid that line by teaching couples on a larger scale through my website or future workshops.
Marriage and Family Therapists work one-on-one with couples, families, and individuals. They have more training and the ability to dive deeper into what work needs to be done. Therapy often has a stigma of being for those who have problems. But therapists can be a great resource for those who are just looking to keep their relationship strong. I know a lot of couples who visit a counselor or therapist quarterly, just to keep things going in the right direction.
You might also hear of couples going to premarital counseling. I’m a huge advocate for any sort of premarital education! It’s something that I wish I’d been more aware of when my husband and I were engaged. But I also feel like more one-on-one direction, from a relationship professional, can be very beneficial. They can help direct your conversations to make sure you’re on the same page about the most important things before you tie the knot.
To find a good therapist or counselor for you, I suggest visiting physcologytoday.com. They have a “find a therapist” tool that will help you find the best resources in your area. You’ll be able to see more about their qualifications and what they specialize in and narrow down who is best for your needs.
Every marriage can benefit from doing some sort of work. Whether you do it on your own, or together. Marriage education, coaching, and counseling are all great options for making your marriage better. You don’t need to feel like you have problems in order to start doing work. If you want a strong marriage, that requires constant effort. And having an outside party, who has made relationships their career, to help guide your efforts can be really beneficial!
Have you had experience with relationship education, coaching, or counseling?