Marriage isn’t always roses and blue skies or at least that’s what reports from the Census Bureau tell us. Over the past few years the national yearly divorce rate has been 9.2 men per 1,000 and 9.7 women per 1,000. So what makes for a better and long lasting relationship? A little assistance seems to be the answer.

Studies show that every couple goes through a rough patch, but with some guidance, most of them usually get back on track. And to get to the root of your problems and start fresh some psychiatrists suggest imago therapy.

What is imago therapy? According to the Relationship Learning Center, the word “imago” is the Latin word for “image.” The fundamental idea of imago therapy is that we develop a pattern for love during our childhood. Our parents or guardians are believed to influence not only how we act in romantic relationships, but also who we love. According to imago therapy, we consciously or unconsciously look for love similar to what we experienced from our parents.

The purpose of imago therapy is to provide couples with the tools to handle the unconscious aspects of their relationship. The couple will be able to heal old wombs and together grow from the experience. This differs from other therapy sessions because the therapist will not be controlling the sessions, instead the couple will be taught how to develop their relationship on their own — mostly through learning to communicate and to learn more about themselves.

If you want to take an active role in your rehabilitation as a couple than maybe imago therapy is for you. There are lots of workshops and professionals around the U.S. that can help you, help yourselves get back on track.