Make an informed decision during an excruciating time of not knowing.
While our marriage therapists aim to restore the relationship when beneficial to the couple, we also offer discernment counseling to assist you in determining if divorce is the right step. Discernment counseling is a specialized service designed to help couples evaluate options and identify the right direction for their marriage when one partner is “leaning in” and another partner is “leaning out” of the relationship. Through a maximum of five two-hour intensive sessions including joint and individual time, your discernment counselor will help you and your spouse assess whether your marital problems are solvable and illuminate possible solutions.
Discernment counseling is based on the following principles:
- Life-long commitment is especially difficult in today’s throwaway culture.
- Children have an important stake in the health and endurance of their parents’ marriage.
- Marital commitment brings obligations to work on a troubled marriage before giving up.
- Because most troubled marriages can be restored to health if both partners dedicate themselves to make that happen, the first stance of the therapist should be to help see if the path of healing through couples therapy is possible.
- Because love and fairness must go hand in hand, healing a marriage must not come at the expense of one of the spouses.
- Some divorces are unavoidable because one partner chooses the path of divorce, sometimes against the wishes of their spouse.
- When clients choose divorce, their therapist has a responsibility to make them aware of additional resources, including individual therapists and divorce professionals who can facilitate a fair and healing separation process.
Discernment counseling is not suited for situations when one spouse has already made a final decision to divorce, when one spouse is coercing the other to participate, or when there is danger of domestic violence.
Discernment Counseling – Frequently Asked Questions
Discernment counseling is a short-term process for married couples who are uncertain about whether to continue their marriage or pursue separation or divorce. Its purpose is to support clarity and thoughtful decision-making rather than immediately work on repairing the relationship.
Couples therapy generally focuses on improving the relationship. Discernment counseling focuses first on understanding what happened in the marriage and deciding which direction to take, especially when one spouse wants to work on the marriage and the other is unsure.
Capital Crescent Collective describes a process of up to five two-hour intensive sessions, with both joint and individual time. The number of sessions depends on the couple’s needs and decisions.
Yes. Discernment counseling is specifically designed for situations in which partners have different levels of commitment to continuing the marriage. Both partners must be willing to participate without coercion.
It is generally not appropriate when one spouse has made a final decision to divorce. It is also not suitable in situations involving coercion or danger of domestic violence. Contact the practice to discuss whether another form of support is more appropriate.
Request a consultation today to learn more about discernment counseling and take the step towards finding the clarity and confidence about the path forward for your marriage.