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MainBrain
Guest
I am Catholic. My wife is Protestant. What avenue should I take for a marriage counselor? Does the Catholic Church offer anything like this? Would it be better to go through a secular counselor?
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Debbie_Kono
Guest
Absolutely no to a secular counselor…imo. I would seek out a good, orthodox priest, especially if your wife is willing to talk to him. My “husband” divorced me after my conversion. I was his second wife and he wouldn’t "“jump the hoops” of the Catholic Church to see if his marriage could be annulled. We went to my priest, but he didn’t like what he had to say so we went to a “Christian”, ex pastor counselor and he said divorce was always an option. Be assured of my prayers for you and your wife. These things break my heart.
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1ke
Guest
Contact your local Catholic Charities. They will be able to provide marriage counseling or refer you to someone locally.
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UpUpAndAway
Guest
I am Catholic. The Husband is Protestant. We went first to a Catholic priest, then to a permanent deacon, then to a Catholic marriage counselor via a referral by the deacon. We are still married, now much more happily.
Going through the Church, therefore, is the path I recommend.
Neither I nor anyone here can know how open your wife will be to this, however.
The two of you are in my prayers.
ETA: Our success is not a guarantee for anyone else, as everyone’s situation is different. YMMV. Also, I don’t want to give anyone the impression our relationship is 100% permanently fixed. It’s a work in progress, as all marriages are to one extent or another.
Going through the Church, therefore, is the path I recommend.
Neither I nor anyone here can know how open your wife will be to this, however.The two of you are in my prayers.
ETA: Our success is not a guarantee for anyone else, as everyone’s situation is different. YMMV. Also, I don’t want to give anyone the impression our relationship is 100% permanently fixed. It’s a work in progress, as all marriages are to one extent or another.
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RomanoAmerio
Guest
Dear UpUpAndAway,I am Catholic. The Husband is Protestant. We went first to a Catholic priest, then to a permanent deacon, then to a Catholic marriage counselor via a referral by the deacon. We are still married, now much more happily.
Going through the Church, therefore, is the path I recommend.
The two of you are in my prayers.
ETA: Our success is not a guarantee for anyone else, as everyone’s situation is different. YMMV. Also, I don’t want to give anyone the impression our relationship is 100% permanently fixed. It’s a work in progress, as all marriages are to one extent or another.
Wise words indeed!
Prayers for the “OP” and all couples facing hard times.
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MainBrain
Guest
Why is everyone against secular marriage counseling?
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pensmama87
Guest
I’ll say for the record I’m not, necessarily. If you see a good counselor, it won’t matter what their faith is because he or she will respect yours.
Having a Christian or specifically Catholic counselor is no guarantee of effectiveness, either. Many people put themselves out there as counselors but they have no credentials and they aren’t licensed by anybody. I know there are problems today in academia, but I’d rather receive counseling from someone who’s taken at least a few courses in how the brain works, and has had some kind of formal training.
Counselors are like doctors, even if you’re not seeing a psychiatrist. You want one with the knowledge and that “clicks” with you. If there are lots of Catholic counselors available where you live, awesome. If not, I wouldn’t shun a non-Catholic. Just look over their credentials and let them know how important your faith is. If they are dismissive, probably not for you.
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