Is This The Root Cause Of Welcome To Plathville's Olivia And Ethan's Marriage Troubles?

One of TLC's most popular reality shows centered around a family unit, "Welcome to Plathville," gives viewers an inside look at what growing up in an incredibly religious lifestyle looks like. The Plath family consists of nine children, but only eight are a part of the filming process (via Distractify).

According to Screen Rant, the family consists of children who follow the strict lifestyle their parents have forced upon them, and a few who have rebelled to form their own opinions and lifestyles. One of the daughters got a tattoo and started dating, which is a big deal for this family.

Of all the children, Ethan Plath and his wife Olivia are the villains in the eyes of the family. The Plath parents have attempted to bar their other children from hanging out with Ethan and Olivia. Of course, the ongoing family tension has put a strain on the couple's marriage.

If you're keeping up with the show, you've seen Ethan and Olivia struggle through marital problems. While the drama has unfolded publicly, what exactly is the root of their strained marriage?

The couple are seeking therapy to solve their marriage problems

While Ethan and Olivia are seen as the most rebellious of the two, one way they are breaking the norms of their religion is by seeking therapy for their marital problems (via Us Weekly). Olivia shared, "Growing up in a very religious world, there's so much stigma surrounding therapy," Plath says, "You know, 'You should just pray more or read your bible more' or 'It's not a real thing.' But there comes a time in your life when you're an adult and you come to say, 'I choose to recognize that I need help and it doesn't make me weaker for it.'"

That seems like a rather mature decision to make, right? They've come a long way since Olivia attempted to dismiss rumors of their struggling marriage (per Screen Rant). During these therapy sessions, it seems they are digging in deep and finding the root of their marital woes.

It turns out the issues between the Plath's might be centered around Olivia's change and Ethan”s wish for things to stay the same. Plath told Us Weekly, "He has a really hard time with me changing. The one underlying thing he says is I'm not the person he married and if he had known I was going to be like this, he wouldn't have married me." She believes change is at the root of their issues, but so is dealing with childhood trauma, something that is incredibly difficult to overcome even as an adult.