Premarital CounselingDid you just get engaged? Are you thinking that this partner may be the one you want to keep around for a lifetime?
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Being in a long-term committed relationship brings with it its own set of challenges. Premarital counseling is a helpful place to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are as a couple. I can offer tools and resources to strengthen your weak areas so that when life gets stressful or overwhelming, your relationship will be able to weather that storm.
What to expect |
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Premarital counseling is a very focused, short-term therapy that is generally completed in 9-12 sessions. We begin with two 90-minute evaluations and an online assessment. This will determine what we focus on and how many sessions are needed.
I love working with premarital couples! I want you to experience a safe place to be vulnerable with your partner. We will be exploring your family history, helping you determine what you want to bring with you from your family into your marriage and what you might want to leave behind. This is such a beautiful and exciting time when you get to choose the direction of your relationship. I help to make sure that you are aware of how past hurts and traumas may impact your relationship. We will also work through any areas that you may have forgotten to ask your partner. The list of questions below is a great place to start! |
I utilize a combination of Family Systems theory, Attachment theory, Prepare Enrich, and Gottman methods to assess the current state of your relationship and plan a course of counseling that will help you address any weak spots that you may have.
We will cover communication, relationship dynamics, personality differences, conflict resolution, finances, relationship roles, sex and affection, leisure activities, children, parenting styles, wedding stress, extended family issues, and spiritual beliefs. This is the time to prepare your relationship to get off on the right foot. I want to set you up for success! I also like to check in with my premarital couples after the wedding. Sometimes what we thought we wanted is very different after we experience it. I am not only a support for you before the wedding, but also for the entire life of your relationship. Click here to see all of my training in relational therapy. |
Questions to ask before the wedding:
- How are you going to celebrate holidays? Which family members will you visit for which holiday?
- Do you want to have kids?
- Do you know what you want to do for family planning? natural family planning? birth control?
- Who does which chores around the house?
- Are decisions made equally or is one person more responsible for having the final say in a decision?
- Are you going to have individual or joint bank accounts?
- Do you share any hobbies?
- How do you feel about your partner spending time with friends?
- Do you share religious values or beliefs?
- What are your sexual expectations or desires?
Counseling for all relationships!
My work is LGBTQ+ affirming, anti-oppressive, and sex positive. All identities, backgrounds, and relationship configurations are welcome and honored in this space and I’m passionate about supporting all relationships in finding their own path towards connection, intimacy, and healing.