The Doherty Family Institute did a study that looked at the outcome of 100 consecutively seen discernment counseling cases. Here’s what they found.
BUT WAIT!
Some people see this and think … “I’m not going to do discernment counseling if it is only 47% effective!”
While we love it when couples choose to work toward reconciliation, the goal of discernment counseling is to provide greater clarity and confidence, regardless of the path chosen. Post-discernment couples who pursue separation/divorce are still very likely to report that doing discernment counseling helped them engage in that process with less hostility. Even those who choose to put off a decision and continue “as is” feel more confident that they are doing so for the right reasons.