For those of you that don’t know, Mike and I had quite the untraditional beginning to our marriage. I lived in Indianapolis for three years while Mike lived in Chicago, which meant that we became very familiar with the stretch of I-65 that cuts through Indiana.

When we eloped, we were both committed to another nine months on our leases and Mike was still in paramedic school. That meant that neither of us could move and we spent the first nine months of married life living approximately 200 miles apart. The marriage therapists in Livermore could probably have a field day with that scenario.

Things fell into place around Christmas, and I was able to secure a new job and move to Chicago, which means that even though we’ll be married a year this month, we’re still getting used to living together. I’m a proponent of couples therapy to help us work out the kinks, relieve some of the tension, and make our household run a little more smoothly. We’re both still very independent, and having a hard time compromising.

There’s lots of reasons why couples seek therapy; they may fight, not feel the same spark as they did when they first got together, or be in the midst of a real relationship crisis. Whatever the reason, there’s no shame in seeking out help, especially when it can save something as important as a relationship.

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