Pre-Marital Counseling

Give Your Marriage  a Strong Beginning

For engaged couples, I offer premarital counseling. Many couples find the six- to eight-week experience centered around the Prepare/Enrich curriculum incredibly valuable as they prepare for forever. This program uses an online assessment to identify areas of potential disagreement over issues such as financial management, sexual expectations, household roles, and expectations for the involvement of extended family and friends.

As we talk through your assessment results, we discuss areas for growth and process areas of discord. I place special emphasis on communication and conflict resolution skills as understanding your typical communication pattern (and every couples has one) will equip you to identify and alter a negative feedback loop when it occurs.

And, of course, we also consider how each partner’s story thus far—shaped by his or her family of origin and previous relationship experiences—determines what issues are brought into the marriage. Understanding your past wounds and style of relating (as well as your partner’s) will help you move toward empathy instead of judgment when disagreements arise.

Issues to Explore before Marriage:

· Sex and Affection

· Personality Differences

· Love Languages

· Default Coping Strategies

· Hobbies/Leisure Time Preferences

· Financial Management

· Budgeting

· Extended Family Expectations

· Parenting Style

· Family Planning

· Relationship Roles

· Spiritual Beliefs

· Boundaries and Guardrails

· What Is an Emotional Affair?

· Conflict Resolution

· Communication Patterns

· Dating after Marriage