What is Premarital Counseling?
Premarital counseling is a form of couples therapy that can help you and your partner prepare for marriage. It’s intended to help you and your partner discuss several important issues ranging from finances to children so that both you and your partner are on the same page. According to Sabrina Romanoff (PsyD) stated that “Premarital counseling helps couples create a blueprint for their lives together”
Is Premarital Counseling for Me?
There are a multitude of reasons why couples might want to seek premarital counseling. While its an approach to address specific issues, it can also be used as a time to talk about sensitive issues with a neutral perspective. Premarital counseling is also a great way for couples to familiarize themselves with the therapeutic process, making them more likely to seek support in the future through marriage counseling should issues arise later on.
It’s also important to highlight that you don’t have to be engaged to explore premarital counseling! Premarital counseling allows couples to understand their hopes, fears, and expectations around a healthy marriage allowing them to make an informed decision about the future of their relationship and whether marriage is the right choice
Premarital counseling offers several potential benefits for couples such as:
1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Counseling can help couples improve their communication patterns and learn how to discuss difficult topics, resolve conflicts, and understand each other’s perspectives better
2. EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT
A referral from a friend, colleague, or a medical professional that you trust is a way to find a therapist who might be a good fit! If you’re part of a specific community, some resources may be available.
3. CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS
Couples learn constructive ways to identify, discuss, and healthily resolve conflicts. Specifically by understanding their own and their partner’s communication style and learning how to communicate so that their partner feels both seen and heard.
4. STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIP
Premarital counseling can help couples build a stronger foundation for their marriage by addressing potential areas of incompatibility or misunderstanding before they potentially become major issues in the marriage.
5. FAMILY PLANNING
Premarital counseling gives couples the opportunity to discuss potential children, parenting styles, and family values, helping couples prepare for this significant life transition.
6. IDENTIFYING STRENGTHENS AND WEAKNESSES
Premarital counseling can help couples recognize their individual and relationship strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to build on their strengths and work on areas that need improvement.
7. RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL GUIDANCE
For couples who desire it, premarital counseling can provide guidance with integrating their religious or cultural beliefs and practices into their marriage.
Premarital counseling aims to equip couples with knowledgeable skills to help them understand each other to build a strong, healthy, and lasting marriage.
By Kaitlynn Russell, Clinic Assistant at ICC
