Are You And Your Partner On Your Way To “I Do”?
- Have you and your partner made the exciting decision to commit to a life together?
- Are you preoccupied with checking all of the boxes on your wedding to-do list, potentially unaware that you may be losing sight of long-term goals for your marriage?
- Could you benefit from taking a step back to evaluate your shared goals and communication styles as a couple?
Congratulations on this next step of your journey together! Deciding to get married is both highly exhilarating and extremely significant. And while you and your partner are likely caught up in wedding planning, it’s also important to make plans for life after the party.
How Does Premarital Counseling Benefit Couples?
You may not have fully discussed certain questions that are bound to come up throughout your long lives together. Perhaps you’re not quite sure about starting a family, how to join your finances, or how to maintain a healthy sex life. Or maybe there are communication issues that need to be evaluated so that you can fight fairly and avoid angry outbursts when disagreements inevitably come up.
And while such considerations need to be made by all married couples, the circumstances of certain partnerships can add to the pressures involved in making a lifelong commitment. For instance, if you or your soon-to-be spouse are in the military, you may need help navigating how to support one another during deployment and long periods away from one another.
Similarly, if there are aspects of your relationship that are deemed “unconventional” by cultural or familial standards—including religious differences, long-distance scenarios, same-sex partnerships, or nonmonogamy—then you and your significant other may benefit from counseling before marriage.
Working with our therapists in New York and New Jersey, you and your partner will develop a customized “relationship first-aid kit” to use when you need it. That way, you can always feel prepared for your marriage journey.
With Divorce Being Common, Counseling Before Marriage Can Help Couples Create A Stable Future
Even the happiest couples experience stress and conflict, and it’s important to learn how to deal with these issues constructively as you prepare for a lifetime together. The goal of premarital counseling is to identify and address any areas of conflict in your relationship and teach partners effective strategies for discussing and resolving issues.
As a specialized type of therapy, premarital counseling benefits couples considering marriage. Unlike couples therapy—which usually takes place when there’s a problem—premarital counseling is about learning ways to prevent conflict and issues from escalating. This form of therapy can help to ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship, giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage.
We have all heard the statistic that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, but the research also suggests that couples who invest in premarital counseling reduce their chance of divorce by 31 percent. This demonstrates that we can learn the skills needed to maintain an intimate and mutually supportive relationship.
You wouldn’t get into a car to drive in an unfamiliar destination without a roadmap, so why would you enter a marriage without a trusty navigation system? With premarital counseling at The Relationship Suite, you and your partner can feel confident to arrive at your destination—together.
Premarital Counseling At The Relationship Suite
Between the endless choices for invitations, dresses, flowers, and table settings, we know that the last thing on your mind is premarital therapy. However, couples counseling throughout your engagement will allow you and your partner to discuss common marital issues that are likely to come up—before they become obstacles to your relationship. By identifying potential areas of conflict, you can learn strategies for finding resolutions together.
In premarital counseling at The Relationship Suite in New York City, we often help couples explore questions like Are we going to share or split finances? Is it necessary to create a prenuptial engagement? How will we handle debt? As well as, how will our family look?
The therapeutic process begins with a basic intake that will help your clinician understand your relationship and the potential problems that may arise in your marriage. Together with your fiancé, you will discuss common relationship issues, explore ways to cope, and handle potential challenges that may develop throughout your long lives together.
Our goal is to help you work through these issues (and others) in the early stages of the relationship. Using elements of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), and strengths-based approaches, you will enhance your communication and conflict-resolution skills to address specific fears and significant decisions within the marriage.
In addition, we offer an Online Couples Toolkit, which is a self-study program that can help you enhance your communication. This audio program can transform your relationship through a combination of psychoeducation, proactive skills building, and proven techniques. From the comfort of your home, you can use this self-help toolkit to facilitate immediate, positive changes in your relationship. And you can learn how to effectively navigate and manage the most common issues that arise in relationships.
Premarital Counseling Prepares You For A Happy Marriage
We’ve watched our engaged clients transform as they apply their analytic and creative abilities to the art of building a life together, and our couples in New York and New Jersey say that their time in premarital counseling is both meaningful and proactive.
You, too, can demonstrate your commitment to your future marriage by coming together in therapy to discuss important issues and strengthen your connection.
Maybe You And Your Partner Are Considering Counseling Before Marriage, But You Still Have Questions…
Everything is so good between us right now—why do we need therapy?
We are thrilled that you are in the midst of exciting wedding planning and preparing for a future together. Yet part of that preparation is ensuring that you and your significant other have the toolbox or “relationship first-aid kit” needed for when inevitable marriage issues arise down the line.
Whereas marriage counseling is for couples experiencing frequent conflict or gridlock in their relationship, premarital counseling is for couples in the exciting stages of engagement who want to be proactive and bolster communication skills before common issues create obstacles.
What are the five common issues explored in premarital counseling?
The five most common issues in relationships are communication, anger, money, and physical and emotional intimacy. In premarital therapy at The Relationship Suite, you will explore and develop skills for all of these issues, as well as those specific to your relationship.
How long does premarital counseling take?
Premarital counseling differs depending on your needs. Some couples choose to meet over two to six sessions, while others prefer to participate for longer. One or both of you also have the option to meet with the therapist individually for a few sessions, which will allow you to speak more openly about concerns and goals for your relationship.
Include Premarital Counseling In Your Wedding To-Do List
If you’re headed down the aisle, premarital counseling at The Relationship Suite in New York and New Jersey can help you get ahead of common marital issues before they become problematic.
To schedule a free consultation or to find out more about how our therapists can help, please call (917) 273 – 8836 or contact us.
