Getting Counseling Before Saying “I Do”
Why Premarital Counseling?
Engagement is such an exciting yet chaotic season. There is so much time and energy that goes into planning your wedding. But how much time and energy are you putting toward your future marriage? Although a wedding is a big and important event in a couple’s life, marriage will be for the rest of your life. Premarital counseling can prepare you!
According to Psychology Today, couples participating in premarital counseling have a more realistic view of marriage and gain communication and conflict-resolution skills, which increases relationship satisfaction. In the counseling process, you will have the space to talk about current conflicts and how to manage them. Maybe you and your partner do not have any current conflicts, but conflict is bound to come at some point in your marriage. The skills you learn will be applicable throughout the lifetime of your relationship.
Premarital counseling also gives you a chance to learn more about yourself and your partner. In counseling, you can see how your unique personalities play a role in the relationship. You will be able to talk through similarities and differences that you have in life and how that may impact your future. Counseling before marriage can help you walk into marriage with a more realistic view of yourself, your partner, and your relationship.
Marriage is an important covenant to walk into. Are you ready to devote time to this covenant?
How Does It Work?
In premarital counseling, I first meet with couples to learn more about themselves and their relationship. Next, I will have each individual complete the Prepare/Enrich assessment. The Prepare/Enrich assessment has been helping premarital and marital couples for over 35 years.
This assessment can be personalized based on whether or not you have children. After completing the assessment, couples will meet with me for 6-8 sessions to review the assessment results. Prepare/Enrich measures a wide range of topics, including relationship dynamics, personality, communication, financial management, sexual expectations, family and friends, and spiritual beliefs.
I will tailor our sessions together based on your results. You and your significant other will learn about yourselves, each other, and your relationship. You will be taught evidence-based skills that will enrich your relationship and future marriage together. Oftentimes, I have found that couples have space to talk about things they have never talked about before or maybe have not thought to talk about as they prepare for marriage. During the process, we will use a workbook to learn and practice new skills in your relationship. Between sessions, you may have skills to practice throughout the week to help improve your relationship. You will get to keep the workbook once the therapy process is over to remind you of the tools you learned throughout therapy.
You May Be Wondering
Do we already need to be engaged before coming to counseling together? Nope! Sometimes, I recommend that couples start the therapy process before getting engaged, especially if there are areas of conflict to work through. This allows you to evaluate your relationship without all the wedding planning stress.
Can we do the assessment if we are already married? Yes! I believe Prepare/Enrich can be helpful for couples who have been together for six months or 20 years. There is always room to learn more about yourself, your partner, and your relationship.
It is always an honor to walk with couples in whatever season of life they are in. As you prepare for marriage, or if you are already married, I would love to help you add more tools to your toolbox in your relationship.
If you are interested in premarital or marriage counseling, feel free to email me at sarah@restorationcounselingatl.com. I would be happy to provide a free 10-minute consultation if you have any questions.
Written by: Sarah Burruss, Graduate Student Intern
Roswell and Virtual
sarah@restorationcounselingatl.com
Sarah is one of our graduate student interns. She takes a collaborative approach to counseling her clients. Sarah works with adolescents and adults on a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, communication issues, addiction, OCD, trauma, and life transitions. She also does premarital and marital counseling. As an intern, Sarah is available at a reduced rate.