One of the primary sources of conflict in marriage is money. Two people who are used to controlling and managing their own spending decisions do not always see eye to eye. It takes some real effort to learn to trust each other and to find the balance and compromise. One spouse may be overly controlling. Another spouse may be a spendthrift. When money is tight, bills are accumulating and there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel, the pressures take a toll on a marriage.
Financial pressures aside, many a separated or divorced couple discover that two cannot live separately nearly as efficiently or cost effectively as living together. Never mind the high cost of getting divorced, even when it is rather “amicable”; and the penalty of not being able to “work it out” on your own can be exponentially more costly, even to the point of financial ruin.
There is hope when the marital and financial outlook looks bleak. A recent article in the Aurora Beacon News provides a glimmer of that hope. There are people who focus on a combination of marital and financial counseling. Financial counseling is not simply a matter of numbers; it is a matter of the heart and attitudes.
Many a marriage is run aground on the jagged rocks of financial difficulty, which can be a sign of other root issues. It often becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back, however. Getting some counseling from someone who can help the steer a marriage away from those rocks can save a marriage and give a couple the hope and the tools to steer out to calmer waters.
Even if the marriage is not in jeopardy of collapse, when financial difficulties are taking their toll, and particularly when spouses are not completely “on the same page” with the financial decisions, or just do not know how to get financial train back on track, some solid guidance can be a life saver. Few things cause as much tension in a marriage as financial difficulty. If you are feeling the tension, eyeing the jagged rocks and looking for some light at the end of the tunnel, read the article linked below and consider getting some outside help.
Beacons News Article – Therapist Takes on Money and Relationships
The following are a combination of marital and financial counseling in the area (we make no endorsements):
- Aeguus Wealth Management in Chicago (See the Aequus Wealth Management Story)
- Isenberg Counseling LLC in Naperville
- Dunham Counseling in Naperville & St. Charles
- Family Counseling Service in Aurora
- Tri-County Counseling Services in Glen Ellyn, Oswego & DeKalb