Marriages, just like the individuals in them, go through stages of development. Understanding these relatively predictable stages can be helpful to couples, by allaying apprehension, promoting preparation for change, and putting fluctuations into perspective. Research on marital stages and experiences in counseling couples suggest that marriages typically pass through six stages: pre-marital, early marriage, child bearing, childrearing, mid-life, i.e., the years with adolescents, and the post-parental years. Counselors should promote growth and marital communication to help couples negotiate the circuitous paths of their relationships. (Author/JAC)