Congratulations on your engagement! We are excited for you and your new life together! At Marriage & Family Counseling Center (MFCC) we believe forming healthy relationship patterns begins even before marriage, regardless of how long a couple has been together, and we offer pre-marital counseling for couples looking to give their marriage a boost from the beginning.
We’ve worked with many engaged couples in both pre-marital counseling and pre-marital workshops, and find that the needs and goals of engaged couples are usually a bit different from what might be present in couples counseling. When engaged couples engage in counseling before their vows, they can focus on skill-building and preventative measures that can ensure their are better equipped to handle conflict or difficult seasons before they come.
In pre-marital counseling, couples are able to address potential pitfalls prior to experiencing tension or frustration. Couples are encouraged to lead these discussions, and many couples discuss areas like:
- Creating a deeper sense of understanding and awareness of their relationship
- Learning the strengths, dynamics, personalities, and backgrounds that make up the DNA of each partner
- Identifying the expectations that each partner is bringing into the marriage
- Defining possible potential areas of conflict and develop healthy skills to resolve those conflicts quickly
- Developing a deeper level of communication and connection by learning how to effectively verbalize their feelings and emotions
Many engaged or soon-to-be engaged couples appreciate going through the Prepare – Enrich Program that many of our therapists are trained in. The Program is designed to be a way to begin thinking about the top issues that typically create the most tension or stress in relationships, and provides skills to facilitate better and more productive conversations around each of these areas. If you are newly engaged, newly married, or don’t experience a lot of conflict presently in your relationship, the Prepare – Enrich Program is ideal for you. It will provide hands-on education, skills, and insight into how to take your relationship to the next level.
If you are engaged, newly married or find that you have already realized there is room for improving your connection with your partner, many of our couples therapists at Marriage & Family Counseling Center also infuse Prepare – Enrich with aspects of Hold Me Tight (based on Emotionally Focused Therapy) to help you create an even deeper level of connection, emotional safety, and understanding.
“Couples with premarital education reported higher levels of marital satisfaction and experienced a 30 percent decline in the likelihood of divorce over five years.” (Journal of Family Psychology Survey)
If you feel your relationship may need something a little more tailored to you, you may find traditional couples counseling with a premarital lens more helpful. Let us know what your preferences and needs are and we’ll help you get matched with a therapist that is skilled in areas that work for you.
We also offer Prepare – Enrich Workshops, Prepare – Enrich Intensives, Relationship Intensives, and Hold Me Tight in-person workshops that provide even more resources, skills, and ways to improve your relationship.
Want to learn more about Prepare – Enrich? Head over here to learn about what’s included in this program.
Head over here to check out our upcoming Hold Me Tight Workshops.
Looking to start your relationship off right? Schedule a session now to explore all the ways you can boost your relationship before you say your vows!
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