So you are thinking of getting married! Congratulations! But, are you ready?
Some questions to ask yourselves:
- Are you young and know you have a lot to learn about what makes a healthy marriage?
- Is one partner “commitment-phobic”?
- Are you unable to resolve significant issues?
- Have you had a failed marriage and want to avoid repeating the same mistakes?
- Difficulty handling conflict?
- History of childhood abuse or domestic violence?
- What kind of trouble is that in-law going to cause you?
The function of pre-marital counseling is two-fold:
- To assist couples in developing skills to navigate their way through marriage successfully;
- To identify areas of difference between couples that may become a source of conflict later.
We offer the opportunity for couples to look at their values, goals, and beliefs; to explore how families of origin may either aid or hamper in the development of true interdependence and intimacy; and we teach listening and communication tools that will support the merging of two lives.
Some couples approach marriage with unhelpful relationship patterns that have resulted from sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. They need help from a trained professional to heal from these experiences and to work out healthier patterns of relating in their new relationship.
