How to suggest couples counselling to your partner warmly, so it lands as care rather than criticism.

Gentle, honest signs that sitting down with someone together could help your relationship — offered without alarm.

In our culture, we are often taught that a good relationship is simply about "adjusting." We are told that every couple fights, that marriage is hard work, and that as long as nothing is drastically broken, you just keep going. Because of this, most couples only consider therapy when they are on the absolute brink of a breakup. We tend to view relationship counselling as a courtroom—a place you go to figure out who is the "bad guy," or a last-resort emergency room for a faili