The Role of the Family Counselor in Addressing Marital Problems Among Newly Married Couples "A Study Applied to All Family Counselors Working in Family Counseling Centers in the Jazan Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia"

The present study aims to identify the most significant marital problems encountered by newly formed families, and the professional roles that family counselors must undertake in addressing these problems. The focus is placed on newly married couples, highlighting the challenges that hinder counselors in fulfilling their roles, and proposing strategies to enhance the effectiveness of family counseling practices.
This study adopts a descriptive research design and utilizes a comprehensive social research approach, targeting all family counselors working in family counseling centers within the Jazan region. The questionnaire was used as the primary data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 34 family counselors.
The results revealed that the most prominent social issue, with a weighted mean of (2.6) and a relative strength of (87.3%), was the lack of religious awareness regarding marital interaction. The most significant psychological issue was one spouse suffering from psychological disorders (mean = 2.5; relative strength = 86.3%). The most impactful economic issue was the accumulation of debts before and after marriage (mean = 2.7; relative strength = 90.3%).
 
Among the most important professional roles of the family counselor were: providing couples with the necessary knowledge and skills to improve marital life, and encouraging open and honest communication between spouses.
The findings also indicated that the most significant barriers to effective counseling were: one spouse resisting the treatment plan (87.33%), followed by the couple’s lack of transparency in disclosing the true causes of their marital problems (84.33%).
The study recommends conducting further social research within family counseling associations to examine marital issues, developing professional intervention plans and counseling programs, and equipping family counselors with up-to-date techniques, skills, and methods for working with couples. This should be achieved through continuous professional development, scientific conferences, discussion panels, and collaboration with experts in social work and counseling.