‘Me! Go to a Marriage Counsellor! You’re Joking!’: A Survey of Public Attitudes to and Knowledge of Marriage Counselling

Abstract

SynopsisWhile services have increased and data have been collected regarding the effectiveness of these to clients, little is known about the knowledge of and attitudes to marriage counselling by the general public, particularly those who have not previously consulted a marriage counsellor. Data from 658 married, single, living together, widowed, divorced and separated persons indicated that there was a relatively high level of accurate information and appraisal of marriage counselling services. The issue of client payment received support, as did the suggestion of increasing the number of services in this field. Relationships of responses to marital adjustment are discussed and several suggestions made for agencies and policy makers concerned with this service to the public.