Premarital Counseling

The decision to beginning the journey of spending the rest of your life married to another person, whom you love and care for, is an exciting endeavor. Many couples are confident of the potential success of their relationship, likely minimizing the quirks while focusing on the positive. When two are happy with their relationship and their decision to commit, it is easy to disregard the benefits of premarital counseling. After all, is premarital counseling not for those “other people” who are having trouble with their relationship?

False. Premarital therapy is for anyone getting married. Whether you are happy and confident about your decision to marry or concerned about your future as a couple, premarital counseling will improve your chances for a more contented future.

Why Seek Pre-marital Therapy?

Imagine for a moment that you are starting your own business. You are confident that the career path you have chosen is the right fit. You are confident that you will be quite happy both in being your own boss and putting in the time and effort needed to have a successful business. What would happen if you decided to pursue your new venture without a business plan? Sure, your business might be okay for a little while, but would you know where your business growth is headed and what to do in difficult times? Successful businesses start out with a plan for their business: good planning can help save a great marriage.

Most couples have heard of premarital counseling, but what many do not realize is how this preceptor effort has the potential to positively affect a marriage both short term and long term. Research shows that premarital therapy has:

• decreased the chance of divorce by up to thirty percent
• leads to a significantly happier unions
• facilitates better communication styles
• decreases stress before the wedding.

Every marriage will inevitably experience challenges. The best time to prepare for these challenges is either before the wedding, or even up to six months after the union. These times are when positive feelings are in no short supply. Over time, bad habits and animosity can hinder a couple’s willingness to make the changes that would improve their marriage. Many marriages will remain at in a state of decline for quite some time before action is taken to improve the relationship. Unfortunately, some couples wait too long. They then find that after such a long period of dysfunction, improving their marriage is just too difficult. Premarital counseling could have helped maintain a healthy marital course.