As A Marriage Therapist
I often work with couples on finding and understanding their reactive or emotional cycle. This cycle is often the issue when it comes to perpetual arguments. One of the challenges faced in finding the cycle is dealing with husbands who often dismiss or ignore their emotions.
As A Man
I understand how we often feel that the world of emotions is invalid. I, like many men, grew up assuming that emotions often got in the way of making logical concrete decisions. In addition, I played sports where part of the culture was to “suck it up”. In other words, if you are hurt, don’t cry, and don’t let your opponent know you are hurt.
Men and Emotions
The con for men in living in these environments is that we often turn off a valuable piece of ourselves, our hearts. Our hearts let us know what is going on in our inner world. And many times, we dismiss the role of our inner world in making life decisions.
I like to describe emotions as indicators that something occurring inside of us. When we are smiling or happy, there is something going on in our world that is pleasing to us. When we are sad, there is something going on that is bothering us. By paying attention to these emotions, we can begin to understand what is going on concerning our actions or surroundings, along with how our mood is affected. Another way of saying it is that our emotions can give us direction. But we must be open and willing to access and deal with our emotions.
Understanding Emotions with Marriage Counseling
In marriage counseling, people often come because of the behavior of their spouse. I often hear statements like” if he would stop yelling at me, we would be OK.” “If she would stop nagging then everything would be fine.” While I don’t dismiss the validity of those statements, they are often incomplete. There is an emotion going on inside of us that is leading to the reaction that our spouse is having. When someone yells, they are usually upset or frustrated about something. When someone nags, they are worried or overwhelmed. The emotion dictates the action, or in this case the reaction.
Understanding our emotions gives us the opportunity to respond to them instead of reacting from them. As men, when we understand our emotions we can relate to our spouses, children, co-workers, and friends better. We can understand what is going on inside of us, and respond instead of reacting to a situation. When we respond, we are choosing our actions and looking for better results in our relationships.
Begin Marriage Counseling in Atlanta, GA
You deserve to feel in tune with your emotions and give them the attention they deserve. A caring therapist would be honored to provide support from our Atlanta, GA-based counseling practice. Marriage counseling can provide a safe, nonjudgmental place for you to express yourself. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
- Request an appointment
- Learn more about me
- Start embracing your emotions
Other Services Offered at Faith and Family Empowerment
Marriage counseling isn’t the only service offered at our Atlanta, GA-based counseling practice. We also offer a variety of services including treatment for depression, anxiety, and relationship counseling for one. For couples, we offer discernment counseling, affair recovery, and premarital counseling. We also offer online support groups for depression and anxiety. For more information, feel free to visit our blog or our FAQ