Pre-Marital
Counseling: Sometimes Optional, Always Helpful
If you’re on this page, it’s likely because your contemplating marriage, or are already engaged and a wedding is fast approaching. Some of the couples who reach out to us for pre-marital counseling are doing so to make sure the relationship is ready for the commitment of marriage and to learn strategies for keeping their relationship harmonious.
On the other hand, some couples reach out to us because their pastor, priest, or whoever is going to be overseeing their wedding ceremony has asked the couples to seek pre-marital counseling as a pre-requisite. Whichever category you and your significant other happen to fall into, the counselors at Thriveworks are here to provide timely and professional pre-marital counseling to you and your partner.
Stated
above, some couples are required to undergo a certain number of pre-marital
counseling sessions to meet the requirements of their church, place of worship,
or simply the requirements of the individual who will be providing over their
wedding ceremony (and some states require premarital counseling for
people under 18 years of age). That said, even when it’s not explicitly
required, pre-marital counseling is a helpful and effective process for couples
to learn more about establishing a long-term positive relationship that will
survive all the twists, turns, drops, and bumps that life throws all of us.
It’s
no secret that today nearly half of all marriages are ending in divorce. We
don’t want your relationship to be a statistic. Thriveworks counselors can help
you and your significant other to learn important techniques for keeping mutual
respect and love in your relationship, even during times when things are less
than perfect. If
you live in the Atlanta, GA area and are considering marriage, Thriveworks
premarital counseling can help. Through
pre-marital counseling, couples will learn to develop important skills to
communicate in marriage, identify potential conflict areas, and learn how to
navigate their way through difficult questions. To schedule your appointment, call (404) 682-1923.
When
Should a Couple Seek Premarital Counseling?
Premarital
counseling is normally sought out “pre-marriage” but it is also necessary and
useful for those contemplating marriage. That is, even before a couple gets
engaged (some people are calling it “pre-engagement counseling”, though that
term has yet to really take off). Premarital counseling can be beneficial for
those not sure of the next step in their relationship, and can also help those
that are engaged and are preparing for marriage.
Premarital
Counseling for those Unsure about Marriage
Premarital
counseling can help a person in a relationship who is “non-committal” learn
what barriers they may have to taking the next step. Counseling can help a
couple resolve issues they cannot seem to get past, or premarital counseling
can help educate couples on what to expect in their first or tenth year of marriage. Of course,
pre-marital counseling will cover the big life decisions such as:
- Common
Interest and Activities
- Role
Expectations
- Communication
- Religion
and/or Church
- Marriage
Expectations
- Budget
and Finance
- Children
and Parenting
- Public
or Private School
- Sexuality
- The
Need for Space
- Where
the Family Will Live
- Debt
- Each
Spouse's Career Activities
- Relationships
with Extended Family
- And
More…
Just
because you do premarital counseling does not mean you definitely need to get
married. In fact, sometimes couples go through premarital counseling, and find
it best that they do not pursue marriage, or that marriage might be a fit for
them in the future—but not now.
Pre-Marital
Counseling Is Beneficial
While
research has shown that premarital counseling can reduce divorce rates and the
pre-marriage jitters, we feel that individually each partner also seems to get
a lot from the counseling sessions. Better insight into their partner, and into
one’s self has been reported, as well as learning skills useful in other
relationships, like:
- Self-confidence
and Assertiveness
- Patience
- Avoiding
Dependency
- Avoiding
Co-dependency
- Having
Realistic Expectations of Others
- Having
Realistic Expectations of One’s Self
Counseling
does not mean you have a problem. It means that you are strong enough to
prevent future problems. Your
relationship doesn’t need to “have a problem” to seek out, or to benefit from,
premarital counseling. In fact, premarital counseling can be used to strengthen
your relationship and help you communicate better. Premarital counseling helps
couples avoid conflicts that lay ahead. Finally, premarital
counseling can help open up discussions that you feel uncomfortable bringing up
yourself. To
book your first session, call us at (404) 682-1923.
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