Is Their Marriage In Trouble? James Brolin Talks About Marriage Counseling With Wife Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand and James Brolin will celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary this summer! Their strong union seems to defy all stereotypes about marriages between celebrities, but how do they make it work?

It’s Brolin’s thrird marriage and Streisand’s second, so it’s safe to assume they learned from past mistakes, and that’s why they’ve been together for so long.

Here’s one of their secrets: they don’t mind bringing in a third party to help them talk things out.

James Brolin on the benefits of marriage counseling

Brolin and Streisand both strongly believe in marriage counseling. And they don’t do it because of some serious, irreconcilable issues – they do it whenever tension has been building up for some time (it happens in every marriage, doesn’t it?) and they need to relieve it.

During his recent sit-down with People, Brolin talked about counseling and why it’s beneficial. He told the interviewers:

We've talked about it early on, that whenever there are any marriage differences that build up, get together with a mediator. Sit in a room and talk about it.

The problem is, and this is for everybody to hear, that one of the couple doesn’t really like it that much. You gotta really like sitting and talking it out.

When asked if it really helps, the actor said it does, and there’s a huge sense of relief afterwards:

You spend one hour and afterwards it all just – poof! – it’s gone.

The 78-year-old actor told Entertainment Tonight earlier that he would recommend counseling to anyone who’s facing marriage problems:

I do believe in counseling if anybody ever has a problem in their marriage. Bring in a referee, talk it over, and I swear to you, it will dispel by the end of the session, each time.

Sometimes in a tough marriage, it’s tough to talk, but if you do, it works!

Streisand also admits that marriage is something you have to really work on. In a 2014 interview with People, the star said: “It’s not easy. It’s work, but it comes with rewards.”

What’s her secret? Never taking your romantic partner for granted. She told People:

You really have to pay attention to the other person and have kindness in your heart.

This approach to marriage and marital issues has worked for the two stars for more than twenty years, and we all could learn from them!