The nine basic areas of marriage introduced by Worthington Jr.

are central beliefs and

values, core vision, confession/forgiveness, communication, conflict resolution, cognition,
closeness, complicating factors, and commitment. Central beliefs and values can be cultural or
social. The couples values or beliefs can cause conflict between the two if misunderstood. If one
partner holds their values to a certain standard then the other partner can interprets this
stronghold wrongly. Core vision of a marriage is how each partner views the marriage or what
they want the marriage to be. Confession/ forgiveness I think can also be instrumental to a
marriage especially if the couple has Christian values. If the couple believes in the Christian
values then they will probably believe in forgiveness. Which can intern help a couple as a start of
a conflict resolution by confessing, and the other partner forgiving the other partner.
Communication, I think is the most instrumental in a marriage; I believe that it aids in each of
the nine areas of marriage. Conflict resolution is also another important area of marriage. I also
believe being able to resolve conflicts between partners is essential and the key to staying happy
in a marriage. Cognition, another area Worthington spoke about. It can be very helpful because if
a couple thinks and preserves the relationship in a positive light instead of negatively, can make
a healthy marriage. Closeness is also instrumental to a marriage, I think that closeness will help
partners understand each other better; they might pay more attention to each other and maybe
have more intimacy which interns leads to a better relationship. Commitment is another most
important area of marriage for me. I believe partners that are committed to each other in
marriage and or any common goals will try their hardest to reach that goal, whether it is their
marriage or as a family. If problems arise a committed couple will try to resolve the issues. I also
actually believe that all nine areas of marriage work together to make a great marriage.

One of the three areas I think most important to a marriage is a couples central beliefs
and values. A couple’s central viewpoint and values might be the first area of resolve the marital
problem. Values are aspects of living that people deem important to each individual, personal in
marriage. Some morals are held stronger than others. When there is a disaster people hardly ever
adjust their values. In the text “the marsh” characterizes values that are less strongly held by
either person. At this time the need for communication is very important with any relationship,
especially in a marriage. Communicating how much each other value their morals and beliefs
can make each partner understand more about the other.

In communication there are many types of communication and troubles that could go
along with them. The majority of the problems with a couple’s communication method happened
a long time in the past and maybe during the dating process. Deprived communication can be
present because of misunderstandings, reduced communication styles and a discrepancy of
marital power. Most communication problems are created because people don’t recognize each
other’s meaning. Being preoccupied, exhausted and stressed out or too centered on creating what
they are going to say next that to pay attention to the partner, are some of the causes of
misunderstanding. Communication problems arise not because of what people say but of how
things are said to each other. Troubles transpire because people punctuate their interactions
unsuitably. Conversational punctuation also leads to quarrels. For example, when one partner is
interrupted in the middle of the sentence. That shows the other person that his or her own agenda
is more urgent than the other partner, which makes the partner feel less respected. It shows a lack
of respect for what the person is feeling or disregard of what is being said.

Conflict resolution is also another area I think important in marriages. Some couples use
shouting, vulgar language; and may actually abuse each other. A disagreement is the single
biggest trait of couples who come to marital counselors. I believe if a couple uses conflict
resolution intervention or learn how to resolve issues before it becomes a major show down, can
help their conflict resolution problems in the future. I think learning how to do this can help by a
couple trying to correct problems that may arise by themselves. As I also think communication
plays a major role in this area as all nine areas of marriage.

Reference
Worthington, E. L. (2005). Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling: A Guide to Brief Therapy.
(Rev.). InterVarsity Press.