Many couples wonder why their friends, family, church, or pastor recommend premarital counseling. Often these couples report that they are very happy and are experiencing no problems in their relationships. Other times these couples are experiencing distress or poor communication. Regardless of the current state of the relationship, we find that every couple benefits from learning some basic communication strategies and from identifying the impact of their past on the future of the their relationship. Many studies have reported lower divorce rates in couples who have engaged in premarital counseling compared to those who did not seek counseling before marriage.
We work with couples to discuss expectations and roles in the relationship, as well as to explore family dynamics and past experiences that could impact them moving forward. While the emphasis in premarital counseling is not on repairing the relationship, we teach couples to put systems of communication and positive interactions in place that help them avoid the common pitfalls of long-term relationships.