Many people think about couples counseling, but don't go. Some may threaten each other with it: "That does it, we're going!" But how do you know if you should see a couples therapist? Will it help resolve the problems you face? Could it make things worse? One reason couples don't go for counseling is a belief that it means they've failed in their relationship. (Not true!) Surveys by professional associations vary, but most show about twice as many couples reporting improvement in their relationship versus those who report that relationship issues did not improve or got worse. There are many reasons for counseling, but a nearly universal outcome is acquiring new "communication tools" - ways of speaking and listening to each other that increase relationship satisfaction. Many couples move from feeling desperate to a new level of excitement about their future because of this one achievement in improved communication. You can explore the question of whether couples counseling might be a good path for your relationship by visiting an EAP counselor and exploring in a session the issues unique to your relationship. The chances are excellent that you will allow the next step to take at the end of that session. Couples therapy, like individual therapy, is a journey. You will work harder than the therapist who will guide you to your goal. But the odds are in your favor that it will be worth the trip.