It’s more common than ever before, for couples to go through premarital counseling and training together before their big day. While it’s natural to feel confident about your choices and think that counseling isn’t applicable to your situation, new marriages hold a lot of the same challenges that often catch newlyweds off guard.
Pre-marital counseling is a great way to bypass those problems, or find better ways to address them when they come up.
There are a number of requirements and benefits to a couple getting premarital counseling after they become engaged or in the days leading up to their wedding ceremony. Here are some of the most common ones that our clients come to us with:
Building a happy marriage starts with knowing what to expect — both of yourself and of your spouse — and respecting the needs and beliefs of your other half.
During a premarital therapy session, some of the things covered will include expectations and beliefs, like which roles people will play in the family. It’s also vital to talk about how your past or the family dynamics you grew up in affect the way you go into your marriage.
For instance, if you grew up in a single-parent home or had parents that were divorced, there may be different types of behaviors that you’ve modeled, which differ from your future spouse.
More importantly, you’ll learn about how to resolve conflicts. No matter how much you love someone, there will be times when the two of you just don’t agree on things. Developing healthy communication and resolution skills can help you get off on the right foot, so that your marriage can last.
Money is a very important topic to work through. Spending habits, budgeting, and even shopping addictions can cause severe tension and stress in a home. Money is one of the leading causes of divorce, so it’s important to be aware of the challenges you’ll likely face at some point in your lives together.
Although it seems like an embarrassing topic, your sex life and intimacy will need to be touched on as well. Our Jupiter/Palm Beach Gardens or Park City therapists can help to guide you through this seemingly uncomfortable discussion so that you and your partner can define clear expectations on how to physically and emotionally support one another.
Finally, you’ll want to talk about kids: who wants them, when do you want to have them, etc. While kids can’t always be planned out, it’s important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to having one in general. Issues like career goals, infertility, or viewpoints on adoption can strain a marriage.
The Dell Center for Therapy offers premarital counseling services, as well as support for couples who have been married for years. Going through therapy together can help you to improve your communication and understand your partner in ways that you might not have ever considered.
Located in Summit County, Utah or Jupiter/Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; many of our premarital counseling clients come from the Park City and Palm Beach areas. We also offer sessions online! We can meet you wherever you are, in person or via teleconference. Schedule your premarital counseling consultation today or call for more information.
