What to Expect from Marriage Counseling in Bossier City

Andrew Geren, M.A. • September 3, 2025

What to Expect from Marriage Counseling in Bossier City

Marriage counseling in Bossier City typically involves structured sessions where you and your partner work with a licensed therapist to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen your relationship. Most couples attend weekly sessions lasting about an hour, where you'll explore patterns, learn new skills, and practice healthier ways of connecting.

The process is collaborative and focused on helping both partners feel heard while building tools for lasting positive change in your relationship.

What Happens During Your First Session?

Your first session focuses on understanding your relationship history and current challenges. The therapist will ask about what brought you to counseling, how you met, and what patterns you've noticed in your conflicts or communication difficulties.

This initial meeting helps establish goals for your work together and gives both partners a chance to share their perspective. Many couples feel relief just having a neutral space to express their concerns and begin working on improving communication patterns that may have become problematic.

How Long Does Marriage Counseling Usually Take?

Most couples see meaningful improvement within 12-20 sessions, though this varies based on the complexity of your challenges and how actively you both participate. Some couples need just a few months to get back on track, while others benefit from longer-term support.

Your therapist will regularly check in about your progress and help you determine when you've built the skills and understanding needed to maintain positive changes on your own. The goal is always to equip you with tools for handling future challenges independently.

What Skills Will You Learn Together?

Marriage counseling teaches practical communication skills like active listening, expressing needs without blame, and managing conflict constructively. You'll learn to recognize triggers, understand each other's perspectives, and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively during difficult moments.

Many couples also work on rebuilding trust, setting healthy boundaries, and creating shared goals for their future together. These skills extend far beyond counseling sessions and become part of how you navigate your relationship long-term.

How Bossier City's Community Values Support Relationship Growth

Bossier City's strong emphasis on family and community creates an environment where couples feel supported in working on their relationships. The area's military community brings unique understanding of relationship challenges and the importance of strong partnerships during stressful times.

Local couples often appreciate having access to professional intimacy and trust counseling close to home, where they can maintain privacy while getting the help they need. This local connection makes it easier to stay committed to the counseling process and see real improvements.

If you're considering marriage counseling in the Bossier City area, Andrew Geren, M.A. provides experienced relationship therapy with a focus on practical communication skills. Call (318) 200-0065 to learn more about how counseling can strengthen your partnership.

Finding Quality Conflict Resolution in Ruston

By Andrew Geren, M.A. • September 17, 2025
Struggling with recurring conflicts in Ruston? Discover how to find quality conflict resolution therapy and what techniques can transform your disagreements.

When to Call a Relationship Counselor in Monroe

By Andrew Geren, M.A. • September 3, 2025
Unsure when to seek relationship counseling in Monroe? Learn the warning signs, when it's more than a rough patch, and why timing matters for success.

How to Find a Couples Therapist in Shreveport

By Andrew Geren, M.A. • September 3, 2025
Looking for couples therapy in Shreveport? Discover what to look for in a qualified therapist and how to find the right fit for your relationship needs.

How I View Psychotropic Drugs (A Funny Parable)

May 16, 2025
A man goes to the doctor because he’s feeling stressed and afraid. He mentions that he’s overwhelmed with bills he can’t pay, and he doesn’t know how to save money or increase his income. The doctor sees how anxious he is and tells him he has “anxiety.” He prescribes 20 mg of an antidepressant and sends him on his way. A couple months later, the man returns and says the meds seemed to work—until his electricity was shut off. Then the anxiety came back full force. The doctor explains that sometimes the dosage needs adjusting to be effective and doubles the prescription to 40 mg. A few months later, the man is back again. He says the meds were helping—until his house got robbed. He adds that the security cameras didn’t catch anything because, well, they haven’t had power in months. Once again, the doctor increases his medication, this time to 60 mg, and explains that “these things take time” and “finding the right dosage is tricky.” At this point, the man, frustrated, asks:
“Don’t you think maybe a person should feel anxious sometimes? Don’t you think fear might be a sign that I need to act—like getting the lights turned back on or protecting my home? Don’t you think maybe God designed for people to feel afraid, or depressed, or sad, for good reasons?” The doctor, somewhat offended, responds:
“Absolutely not! I’m a man of science! And science agrees: anxiety is a disorder that requires treatment. Anyone who believes we’re meant to feel this way is just a fool.” Shocked by the insult, the patient says:
“Well, maybe science makes mistakes. Maybe being afraid or anxious is what makes us human. Maybe you should feel anxious—like if I leave you a bad review, or file a complaint, or even sue you.” The doctor shrugs and says:
“You think I care? You think anything scares me? I’m on 100 mg of that stuff. Nothing scares me!” And that, dear reader, is how I feel about psychotropic drugs. The end.

Coping with Grief: Love With Nowhere to Go

May 6, 2025
Grief is one of the most powerful emotions we can experience—second only, perhaps, to rage. It strikes with force, often catching us off guard, and refuses to follow a predictable path. You’ve probably heard of the “five stages of grief.” Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. But these stages were never meant to be a checklist. In fact, they were originally observations—common emotional responses during bereavement—not a fixed process that everyone moves through in the same order. The truth is, grief doesn’t come in stages. It comes in waves—sometimes gentle, sometimes crushing. It can sneak up quietly or arrive like a storm. And just when you think you've moved forward, a memory can pull you right back in. One of the most meaningful ways I’ve ever heard grief described is this: “Grief is love with nowhere to go.” Grief is not just sadness. It’s the echo of love we still carry, without a place to send it. When we lose someone, the love we held for them doesn’t disappear. It just… floats. We can't go back and say the things we wish we'd said. We can't share one more moment, one more hug. That absence—of connection, of expression—can feel unbearable. And yet, the pain of grief is also a measure of love. You grieve because you cared. You hurt because you loved deeply. That’s not a flaw—it’s a reflection of your capacity for connection. So if you're grieving, be gentle with yourself. Don’t try to force your healing into tidy steps. Let your grief come. Let it speak. Let it ache. And when you’re ready, find new ways to honor that love—through memory, meaning, and connection with others who understand. Grief never truly leaves. But with time, we learn how to carry it differently. And in doing so, we rediscover the depth—and beauty—of the love that caused it in the first place.

Why Therapy Became Shy About Feelings (And Why That Needs to Change)

April 25, 2025
At some point, the therapy world became uncomfortable talking about feelings. We were shamed out of it—mocked by pop culture, misrepresented by media, and misunderstood by a public that equated emotional work with being “soft” or overly simplistic. As a result, many therapists have pivoted toward problem-solving, cognitive techniques, or behavioral plans, often at the expense of emotions themselves. This shift has cost us dearly. It’s not always crucial to understand why we feel something—but it’s essential that we feel it. Trying to bypass emotions in favor of logic is like trying to walk with a thorn stuck in your foot. The more you ignore it, the more the pain screams for your attention. Likewise, emotions don’t go away when you ignore them; they just fester. Before we can problem-solve or make lasting change, we have to honor what we feel. Emotions don’t require justification. They just need acknowledgment. They are signals—not flaws. In my opinion, the field began drifting from emotional work partly because of how therapy was portrayed in media. The trope of the therapist robotically asking, “And how does that make you feel?” became an easy punchline. Unfortunately, that stereotype left many therapists afraid of seeming cliché, so they turned away from emotional inquiry altogether. Ironically, I rarely ask clients, “How does that make you feel?” Instead, I might ask: “What do you feel when you recall that moment?” “What does it feel like to be in your shoes?” “Can you sit with that feeling for a moment and notice what comes up?” That nuance matters. Saying something “made me feel” a certain way implies the emotion was caused or imposed, as though feelings need permission to exist. But they don’t. They arise naturally—and honoring them helps us connect, both to ourselves and to others. Empathy, insight, and real healing begin there. It’s time to return to what therapy does best: helping people feel, not just think. Because real transformation doesn’t come from avoiding feelings—it comes from feeling them fully and safely.