Just like in any other relationship, Muslim couples sometimes experience conflicts due to many different reasons, such as misunderstandings, differing expectations, and communication breakdowns.
Islam has a history of couples counseling dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, who provided support to different couples facing marital conflicts. Marriage counseling can foster a healthier relationship, helping to resolve your differences and prevent conflicts.
In this guide, we’ve looked at Muslim marriage counseling services to help improve your relationship.
Muslim marriage counseling service – ReGain
How to find a Muslim marriage counselor
It can be quite difficult to find Islamic marriage counseling services, especially if you don’t live in a major city. Even if you live somewhere like New York or LA, finding a good counselor for Muslims can still prove difficult.
Below, we’ve looked at a service that can help you connect with a professional Muslim marriage counselor over the internet.
ReGain
ReGain is an online therapy service. They have a range of licensed Muslim marriage therapists who share your faith and are well-qualified to address marriage conflicts.
After signing up, you have access to a large number of licensed Muslim counselors who specialize in helping married couples. Simply fill out their online form, specify your counseling needs, and you’ll be matched with an appropriate Muslim marriage counselor.
Once you’re connected with a ReGain counselor, you can have a live session with your therapist using almost any device, such as a tablet, smartphone, or computer. Essentially, you and your partner can get professional help from you comfort of your home.
ReGain offers joint couples therapy as well as individual sessions. With joint therapy, a husband, his wife, and their counselor can directly interact with one another to resolve marriage conflicts.
You can invite your partner to join you on ReGain either on sign-up or later on in the process. As a virtual therapy platform, ReGain works great for long-distance relationships.
Using a nickname, you can also use this platform anonymously if you’re reluctant to expose your identity. This feature is also helpful for couples who feel uncomfortable visiting a therapist’s office or a psychology clinic to access marriage counseling.
Furthermore, ReGain provides convenient and efficient counseling at very affordable rates. You can get Islamic marriage counseling based on tried-and-tested psychotherapeutic principles for less than $100 per week. It’s also possible to cancel your subscription or change counselor at any time.
What is Islamic marriage counseling?
Islamic or Muslim marriage counselors work on the principles of psychotherapy to heal and improve your relationship while keeping in mind the teachings of Islam.
First of all, a Muslim marriage counselor assesses the root causes of marriage conflicts while analyzing the relationship between you and your partner. Then, they help you and your partner understand your faults (if any) and responsibilities in the relationship.
Next, the counselor may use different therapeutic methods of psychology to nurture love between you and your partner. Through personal feedback, they help you live happily with your partner, repairing and strengthening the bond between you in each session.
A Muslim marriage counselor also exemplifies Islamic verses and events in the Prophet Muhammad’s life in the context of their counseling. They will also understand Islamic culture and how this influences your marriage.
Causes of conflict in Muslim relationships
Several factors contribute to the conflicts and issues that can potentially strain the relationship between you and your partner.
Many of these issues are not related to Muslim relationships specifically – they affect couples of all religions.
- Unrealistic and unmet expectations often lead to mistrust and an unpleasant atmosphere that can spoil the love present between a couple.
- Lack of communication and sharing can cause frustration, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Good communication is the bedrock of a solid relationship.
- Lack of prior information about each other before marriage can also be detrimental to a relationship. Some Muslim marriages are arranged, which can cause difficulties, especially in the early stages.
- Financial struggles are another reason behind marital conflicts. Often, Muslim men are the main breadwinners of their families. This puts financial stress on husbands, and in response, they may be less available for their families. As a result, you or your partner may become distant, and conflicts arise due to the stress placed on both parties.
- Children can also become a major reason why conflicts arise. Sometimes couples disagree about the best thing for their kids, in areas such as education and marriage. These differences can sometimes create serious conflicts in the parent’s relationship.
How can marriage counseling help?
Marriage counselors can help establish a stronger bond between you and your partner and allow you to resolve some of the issues that cause marriage conflicts.
Counseling can help:
- Improve communication skills. Communication is the key to any successful relationship, as it allows you to share your emotional needs with your partner. With a good communication dynamic, it’s easier to discuss your wants, needs, and concerns with your partner.
- Rebuild trust in the relationship. Through different psychotherapies, therapists can explore any underlying issues that are causing mistrust/doubt. The non-judgemental behavior of a therapist, acting as a mediator, also plays an important role in trust-building.
- Develop constructive arguments (rather than destructive). These behavioral modifications can mend relationships that are on the verge of divorce. A couple can sometimes get involved in persistent arguments that spoil beautiful moments. Counseling can help you and your partner see each other’s perspectives on different subjects and hopefully reduce conflict in the relationship.
- Build intimacy and an emotional connection. Under the burden of everyday responsibilities and busy routines, you and your partner may take your relationship for granted. For example, after the birth of a child, you may start to view your relationship primarily from the perspective of parenthood. Counseling can assist in rebuilding your emotional connection and intimacy by reinforcing to you and your partner the basic elements of a healthy relationship.
- Set and maintain healthy boundaries. If you want to establish a good bond between yourself, your partner, and your family, it is necessary to maintain healthy boundaries. In Islam, Allah has also defined pre-determined boundaries for different members of a family. Islamic counseling by Muslim therapists helps to establish these boundaries within the scope of Islam.
Besides these benefits, counseling can also help you make the right decision about continuing the relationship, if the situation between you and your partner is very serious.
Take an example of a Muslim woman who faces domestic abuse from her partner. In such a scenario, counseling may boost her self-esteem and motivate her to leave the relationship.
In you are in an abusive relationship, it’s important to seek help. Visit the local domestic violence shelter if it’s safe to do so, or call the emergency services if you are in immediate danger.
Conclusion
Conflicts can arise between a husband and wife for many reasons, and Muslims are not immune to these issues. However, Islam has shown a counseling path to its believers through the Prophet’s life and Quranic verses.
ReGain is a great online platform that provides counseling from licensed Muslim marriage counselors. It has many benefits for clients, such as its affordability, easy accessibility, and a wide range of licensed Muslim therapists.
Many factors can lead to interpersonal conflicts, such as lack of communication, mistrust, and unrealistic expectations. Counseling techniques can improve communications skills, re-establish a strong emotional connection, and rebuild trust between you and your partner.
When people experience mental trauma or face severe stress, their lives can unravel. My job is to help begin the healing process. I help my patients improve their mental health, strengthen relationships with others, and begin to overcome past traumas. I practice a large range of psycho-behavioral therapies, and have more than three years’ experience in clinical psychology and counseling.
In my spare time, I’m also a professional writer who spreads awareness about mental health issues. I have written many articles on this topic over the years for numerous different publications.
My educational background includes an M.B.B.S from the University of Health and Sciences, Lahore, majoring in Behavioral Sciences, and a Bachelors from G.C University, Faisalabad.
