Thinking of Ending Your Relationship? Here are Signs to Look Out For

• If you and your partner just don't see eye-to-eye on major things like religion, politics, or how to raise your kids, it might be tough to make things work long-term. It's difficult to work together, have healthy conflict, and then empathy for each other when you are so distant in your values.
• If you've got some deep-seated issues from the past that you just can't get over, it's going to be tough to move forward and build a healthy relationship. Have you sought out therapy to address these? It's an option.
• If you're feeling emotionally disconnected from your partner, it might be time to re-evaluate. Relationships need that emotional spark to survive. This is what most often brings couples counseling clients to my office. Don't sleep on this issue though.
• And if you're just plain unhappy and can't seem to find a way to fix things, well, that's not a great sign either.

But hold up! Before you go ahead and file those divorce papers, it's a good idea to talk to a professional who can help you work through your issues. An experienced couples counselor can help you figure out whether splitting up is really the best thing for you and your partner. And you'll spend less money with me over the whole course of treatment in relationship therapy than one of the two retainers you'll pay an attorney. Think on that one! Remember, ending a marriage is hard to do, traumatic even, and you want to make sure you're making the right decision for you.