When you got married, you probably thought that your marriage would always be happy. Unfortunately, happiness is often fleeting, especially once problems creep into a marriage. But marital problems don't need to lead to divorce. Before you and your spouse throw the towel in on your marriage, spend some time in marriage therapy. Marriage therapy can give you the time you need to overcome the problems that are plaguing your relationship. But, for marriage therapy to be successful, you need to take it seriously. Here are four tips to help you and your spouse prepare for therapy. 

Be Honest About Your Problems

If you and your spouse are going to marriage therapy, start with honesty. It's not enough to talk to a therapist. You need to be honest; with your spouse and with your therapist. Your therapist can't help you through your marital problems if they don't know all the details. This is especially important where infidelity or substance abuse are concerned. And it's also important for you and your spouse to be honest with each other. 

Be Willing to Admit Fault

If you're going through marriage problems, be willing to admit your own faults. You may feel that your spouse should own all the fault for your marriage problem. But that might not be the case. For marriage therapy to be effective, you need to admit your part in your marriage problems. When you and your spouse are both willing to admit your faults, it's easier to work through the problems that affected the marriage.

Be Ready to Put In the Work

If you and your spouse have decided to try marriage therapy, be prepared to work. You may think that all the work will be done during your in-office sessions. But, that's not actually the case. During counseling sessions, your therapist may identify issues that you need to work on. They may assign homework for you and your spouse to do. Some of the assignments will be for you as an individual. But some of the assignments will require you to work as a couple. For marriage therapy to be successful, you and your spouse will need to put in the effort to complete the work. 

Be Prepared for the Long-Haul

Finally, if you and your spouse are going through marriage therapy, be prepared for the long-haul. You may be able to work through some of your problems in a short time. But other problems may take a while to solve. It's important to be patient with the process.