Couples who invest in pre-marital counseling can make a huge impact on their relationship and marriage. According to research, couples who seek pre-marital counseling report higher levels of marital satisfaction and decrease their chances of divorce.
Amidst the excitement and planning of future nuptials, the importance of preparing for your marriage can sometimes take a backseat. While hours and hours are spent planning for the wedding day, how many hours have you and your significant other spent pouring over books about communication or sexual health? How much time have you spent considering how you create healthy patterns for discussing difficult topics rather than retreating, defending, or arguing?
You can build a strong foundation for your marriage with premarital counseling. Are you and your fiancé taking the time to focus on the things that will shape your relationship in the future?
Pre marital counseling can offer a format and timetable to address important relationship concerns that might otherwise get pushed aside as you prepare for your wedding day. It is normal to sidestep topics that we perceive as having the potential to create tension or conflict in a relationship. Similarly, we might avoid a conversation simply because we feel embarrassed or awkward about the topic. Again, this is quite normal.
During the counseling process, we help you see what your own unspoken expectations of your partner are . . . so that you both can move forward in your relationship with a better understanding of how to nurture your relationship and your intimate connection.
Potential Topics Discussed:
• Motivations for marriage and expectations for the relationship
• Roles and responsibilities (e.g., division of labor, finances, child rearing)
• Communication and conflict resolution
• Personal and spiritual values
• Role of extended family and friends as support
• Sex and intimacy
• Trust and integrity
• Balance between marriage, work, and personal lives
Preparing for a Lifetime Together
If you and your partner are at the point in your life of wanting to get married or already planning to be married, it is worth considering committing to pre-marital counseling.