What is Premarital Counseling?

Premarital counseling is a form of couples’ therapy where a couple goes to therapy before they get married, so that they can prepare for a life spent together and thereby, enter into a healthier marriage. Premarital counselling can help couples form a stronger bond and build a solid foundation before marriage.

In this type of counselling, couples are called on to discuss several important issues, like finance, children and family, as this helps the couple understand if they’re on the same page. It also helps them identify potential conflict areas and give them tools they need to deal with conflict successfully.

Is premarital counseling for you?

Premarital counselling is ideal for couples who:

• Have different opinions about marriage or the direction to take the relationship in
• Are arguing over various elements of the wedding and are unable to come on to the same page?
• Are confused about whether they should take the plunge at all
• Are unsure if they’re making the ‘right’ decision
• Are unable or finding it difficult to discuss complex issues like ideas of ‘closeness’ and ‘space’
• Are having the same conflicts repeatedly
• Are experiencing a communication gap

Premarital counselling isn’t designed to ‘fix’ one partner or the other. It merely allows for more insight by opening channels of communication and helping the couple gain perspective.

During therapy:

The purpose of premarital counselling is to help the couple build a blueprint for their marriage, or their future as a couple and in doing so, ensure a healthier relationship. It can help individuals in the relationship identify their and their partner’s core beliefs, set realistic expectations for marriage, plan for the future, learn constructive communication skills, develop conflict resolution, all in a safe and understanding environment.

Benefits:

• Premarital counselling can help a couple:
• Develop a deeper and healthier connection
• Learn healthier ways for conflict resolution
• Set realistic expectations for a shared future
• Understand compatibility
• Develop a better and deeper understanding of each other individually, and as a couple
• Building a successful and happy marriage