Discernment Counseling in Minnesota

For couples located in Arizona, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

How do you know when enough is enough in your marriage?

If you or your spouse are considering divorce but are not completely sure if that is the best path, you are in a hard position. And Discernment Counseling is designed for you. It’s a chance to slowdown, take a breath, and look at your options for your marriage.

Discernment Counseling is a new way of helping couples where one person is “leaning out” of the relationship—and not sure that regular marriage therapy would help--and the other is "leaning in”—that is, interested in rebuilding the marriage.

The goal is for you to gain clarity and confidence about a direction, with a deeper understanding of your relationship and its possibilities for the future. The goal is not to solve your marital problems but to see if they are solvable.

You will each be treated with compassion and respect no matter how you are feeling about your marriage at the moment. The counselor will help you decide whether to try to restore your marriage to health (couples therapy), move toward divorce, or take a time out and decide later.

How does Discernment Counseling Work?

  • First, you will come in as a couple but the most important work occurs in the one-to-one conversations with the counselor. Why? Because you are starting out in different places.

  • The counselor respects your reasons for divorce while trying to open up the possibility of restoring the marriage to health.

  • The counselor emphasizes the importance of each of you seeing your own contributions to the problems and the possible solutions. This will be useful in future relationships even if this one ends.

  • Number of Sessions: A maximum of 5 counseling sessions. The first session is usually 2 hours and the subsequent sessions are 1.5 or 2 hours

The three paths you are discerning with the help with with all the support you need.

  1. Staying in the Marriage “As Is”

  2. Deciding on Separation or Divorce

  3. “Let’s Try”- Give Couples Counseling a Chance to Help Your Marriage

Discernment Counseling is not a fit for these situations:

  • When one spouse has already made a final decision to divorce

  • When one spouse is coercing the other to participate

  • When there is danger of domestic violence

Jeana Wescott, MA, LMFT, CGT

“Through the process of Discernment Counseling, you can give thoughtful decision-making for what is next in your marriage, together, with a professional dedicated to guiding you through.”

I want you to know:

You don’t have to navigate this alone.

Let’s work together to get your marriage unstuck.