Are You Engaged?  Planning a Wedding?

Congratulations and best wishes!  Your pastor, rabbi, priest or wedding celebrant may require that you attend premarital counseling before the wedding date.  But whether it is required or not, counseling is an essential step in laying a good foundation for your marriage.  Recent studies show that the average couple who attends premarital counseling reports a 30% stronger marriage than other couples.

What Can You Expect in Counseling Sessions?

Premarital counseling is focused on raising your awareness of issues that may arise over the course of your marriage and developing skills to meet them.  In fact, some of these issues may be already occurring in your relationship and are of concern to you.  In sessions, you will have a safe and confidential place to talk about your beliefs, fears, values, hopes and dreams and learn even more about your future spouse.  This experience will help you enter marriage with an informed confidence that together you can meet future challenges and build a deep, lasting and satisfying relationship.

In the first session, we will collaborate to identify areas of focus that will be most helpful for your relationship, based on your unique situation.  You will have the opportunity to take an online PREPARE/ENRICH premarital inventory which will assess your couple strengths and growth areas.  This will generate a comprehensive report that will help us to determine topics for the following sessions.

Topics may include:

• Developing effective communication and listening skills that increase intimacy
• Identifying and meeting your partner’s most important emotional needs
• Learning to avoid destructive behaviors that negatively impact in your relationship
• Resolving conflicts and solving problems in your marriage
• Understanding each other’s expectations and perceptions of marriage and marital roles
• Understanding how your family-of-origin impacts your relationship
• Exploring expectations and perceptions on important issues such as finances, sex, children and faith

How Much Does It Cost?

I offer a package of 4 Premarital Counseling sessions and the PREPARE/ENRICH premarital assessment & report for $550.

(One additional session can be requested if more than 4 sessions are needed.)

If premarital counseling is required for your wedding, I an happy to provide documentation that counseling is complete (with signed consent from the engaged couple).  All counseling will remain confidential.