Marital therapy may increase sex

The top reason couples fight is not sex and money, but that neither member feels important or valued by the other, a U.S. survey indicates. A survey of counseling professionals from YourTango.com -- a digital media company that provides advice on love and relationships -- indicated communication problems ranked second among couples, followed by money. Sex came in a distant fourth. The survey of 1,100 psychotherapists, counselors, coaches and other professionals, used a questionnaire about the habits and behaviors that couples address in and outside of therapy. Infidelity was not the top reason couples breakup, but it was cited by the experts as the most toxic from which to recover. Two-thirds of the survey respondents agreed the presence of kids in a relationship did not influence the likelihood of cheating. Most agreed the top cause for failure in therapy is the lack of effort from one or both partners. The survey indicated therapy might be good for couples' sex lives -- 80 percent of the respondents said therapy leads their clients to have more sex. Fifty-seven percent of the experts said preoccupation with sports can have a negative effect on relationships, the survey said. "These results are not just fascinating but also very encouraging," Andrea Miller, chief executive officer of YourTango. "With most clients seeing improvement from therapy in four to 10 sessions, there's a good chance couples can quickly benefit by simply seeking professional help!"