Marriages
in Crisis

Marital crises may arise from acute or chronic stressors. Acute stressors might be the confession or discovery of infidelity, an unexpected financial reversal, the need to become caretaker for an aging parent, or any number of other life changes. A sadly familiar chronic stressor is one that seems best characterized as depletion of heart capital: One partner has lost hope that dynamics she or he has long lamented will ever change. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to counseling couples in crisis. But having a counselor who specializes in couples counseling, and who has mentored many hundreds of couples through marital upheaval, brings the hopefulness of seasoned and steady guidance to the troubled waters of marital storms. It is exciting for Dr. Figley to see the fruit of mentoring his interns in these perspectives and processes: Watching them become increasingly adept at functioning as a secure base and a safe haven for couples eager to find a hopeful path forward.