If you recently got engaged, you may be considering pre-marriage counseling. This is a unique program designed to prepare couples for a healthy and successful marriage. This brings up some important questions though: What is pre-marriage counseling, and is it right for your relationship? Read on to learn how premarital counseling works.
The Goals of Premarital Counseling
Premarital counseling may take place over a few weeks or a few months, depending on your relationship. Some couples need more time to work through their existing conflicts, which is wise to do before getting married. The goals of pre-marriage counseling vary by couple, but some common ones include:
- Establish communication strategies you can use throughout your marriage
- Bring closure to conflicts so you do not carry them into your marriage
- Identify areas that may need improvement, such as work/life balance or distributing household responsibilities
- Discuss concerns you may have about marriage in a judgement-free environment
- Prepare for the stress of getting married, starting a family, and completing other life transitions
- Resolve recurring arguments in your relationship
- Talk about the tough topics you may be avoiding so you can have a clean slate to start with
- Work through personal struggles, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, anger management issues, etc.
Every couple has their own experience with pre-marriage counseling. Your therapist will help you find solutions that fit your personalities, your lifestyles, and your goals as a couple.
Personalized Pre-Marriage Counseling Tailored to Your Relationship
A marriage involves two unique personalities coming together to form a family. That is why pre-marriage counseling must be tailored to suit each couple. You’ll learn tested and proven conflict resolution strategies, but they will be customized for you specifically. Your therapist can recommend tools and techniques that work for you, and if they don’t work, he or she can help you find new ones. Think of this as your custom plan for a long-lasting marriage.
Determining If Pre-Marriage Counseling Is Right for You
Pre-marriage counseling will not hurt your relationship. It will improve it. That is why we recommend getting premarital counseling before you say, “I do.” You can learn simple and effective ways to de-escalate disputes, improve your quality of time together, and manage stress within your relationship.
If you are interested in pre-marriage counseling in Wisconsin, contact Sherman Counseling at 920-733-2065. We have therapist offices in Appleton WI, Green Bay WI, and Oshkosh WI, and all of them provide premarital counseling services.
