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Date nights and splitting household chores isn't what keeps Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's marriage healthy and happy. Though we're sure those help, this forward-thinking couple keeps their connection strong with couples' therapy.
Bell covers the May 2015 issue of Good Housekeeping and, along with her husband of nearly two years, opened up about how beneficial seeing a therapist has been for their relationship. According to Us Weekly, Shepard and Bell started seeing a therapist early on in their relationship. "She gives people the benefit of the doubt. There were hurdles, things she didn't trust about me, things I didn't trust about her," Shepard explained. "I just kept going back to, 'This person has the thing I want, and I have to figure out how we can exist peacefully.' So we started [seeing a therapist together] right away."
See More: Why Engaged Couples Are Attending Pre-Marital Counseling
Bell adds that they have seen only good from their time in therapy. "You do better in the gym with a trainer; you don't figure out how to cook without reading a recipe," she said. "Therapy is not something to be embarrassed about. I don't mind advertising a healthy marriage. I'm trying, just like everyone else."
They've also found that seeing a counselor from the beginning of their relationship has made all the difference in their marriage. "I noticed an actor and her husband on [a recent cover of a celebrity tabloid] that said 'In Couples' Therapy!' The clear message is, 'Oh, their marriage is ending,'" Shepard said of the stigma surrounding seeking help for your relationship. "There's such a negative connotation. In my previous relationship, we went to couples' therapy at the end, and that's often too late. You can't go after nine years and start figuring out what patterns you're in."
The effort is clearly working!