Pre-Marital Counseling
pre-marriage counseling
Are you a newlywed?
Did you just get engaged?
Are you and your partner looking to take your relationship to the next level?
When you’re considering marriage, deciding on your honeymoon, or figuring out where you want to live are among the first things you start to plan. Pre-marital counseling services in Marietta might be last on your list if you have considered it at all. While it’s not an engagement topic that’s very fun or romantic, premarital counseling in Marietta, Smyrna and in Woodstock can set your marriage up to succeed and survive long-term, in spite of the odds.
Pre-marriage counseling in Smyrna can assist you and your partner improve your relationship by helping you develop better communication skills, learn conflict management, uncover your shared core values as well as identify differences that could create future conflict. Working with a therapist, you can discuss expectations with your partner that will help better prepare both of you for marriage.
So if these sound like you:
- You and your partner have arguments that don’t get resolved
- You feel like you’re always the one who has to compromise to keep the peace
- You’re concerned about how your partner’s financial situation will affect you as a married couple
- You’re worried about losing affection or having a diminished sex life after marriage
- You want to find healthier ways to resolve conflict
- You want to resolve religious or financial differences
- You want to define your marital roles and expectations
- You just want the best relational foundation possible for you
… Then premarital counseling can be a great benefit to both you and your partner.
The intimate nature of marriage requires that you talk to your partner about everything, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable. Pre-marriage tips from the pre-marriage sessions services in Woodstock will help you facilitate this process and learn how to be a better listener and how to make your voice and needs to be heard in a productive and positive manner.
Premarital counseling will also show you how to handle conflict now and in your future marriage. When you live with someone, you will have arguments ranging from the very mundane to more serious issues. How you argue will be a part of your story of how you develop as a couple. Learn how to de-escalate arguments and how to fight fairly, so you don’t cause emotional pain from things you said that you’ll never be able to take back.
In pre-marital counseling in Woodstock, we will likely bring up topics that you’ve discussed with your partner previously, as well as subjects you hadn’t considered before. This fresh perspective from an objective third party will uncover new details from and for your partner. This is also an excellent time for us to find unexpected areas where you disagree, and give you the tools to handle possible future conflict.
What to expect from pre-marital counseling sessions
Premarital counseling strategies might change based on the therapist and the specifics of the situation. Sometimes therapists may conduct individual sessions with each partner for a few sessions. Sometimes they work with the couple as a whole throughout the process of pre-marriage counseling in Woodstock.
The therapist is able to work with each spouse independently throughout the individual sessions. They may then address any issues, relationship strengths, and relationship shortcomings as a result. With this strategy, each partner will be able to discuss their objectives for the relationship in an honest and open manner.
During these pre-marital counseling sessions, each partner also has the chance to describe their vision of an ideal marriage and share any steps they have taken towards achieving that vision, as well as any challenges they anticipate.
In joint counseling sessions, partners can then discuss these issues together and, with the guidance of the therapist, explore strategies for coping with these challenges and any others that may arise during the course of the marriage.
Some counselors may also assist couples in developing a Couples Resource Map, which helps identify resources that can be utilized by each partner as an individual and as a couple when facing challenges. In pre-marital counseling in Smyrna, couples may also discuss warning signs of concerns and develop a plan of action to address them, which may involve accessing individual resources, seeking counseling, or seeking spiritual guidance.
Participating in premarital counseling in Marietta, Smyrna and in Woodstock can be a positive step towards building a strong and healthy partnership, as it reflects the commitment of each partner to improving and strengthening their relationship through counseling.
Getting married is one of life’s most treasured and rewarding experiences. I can personally attest to this having been married for over 20 years. Pre-marital counseling can help you and your partner turn that momentous occasion into a loving, lasting relationship. For guidance and support to strengthen your future marriage, please contact us today so we can schedule an appointment.