Premarital Counseling

The decision to get married is one of the most important decisions a couple can make. Preparing for a successful marriage can include developing a deeper understanding of relationships. Premarital counseling is intended as a beginning exploration of issues couples face in the early phases of marriage (and in the preparation for marriage).

Premarital counseling typically lasts between 6 to 10 weeks. Topic may include:

  • Communication skills
  • Anxieties and fears about being married
  • The complexities of sharing a life
  • Losing vs. negotiating one’s independence
  • Family of origin issues
  • Dependency and Inter-dependency
  • The problems of idealization, and the reality of waking up with bad breath
  • Ways in which each person’s history comes into play
  • Ways in which each partner’s parents’ relationship may affect their experience in the current relationship
  • The importance of patience and forgiveness
premarital counseling