1. What is premarital counseling, and why do you need it?
Premarital counseling is not just for the engaged. Engaged couples can often benefit from working together before they get married, but some people think it’s only necessary when there are problems in your relationship that need fixing or reworking – which might happen!
Some common reasons why you may want to go through this process include: understanding common pitfalls of marriage; learning how better communicate with each other so no fights arise between sessions (and everyday life); making sure everything will work out fine should things end up falling apart after vows have been said
Premarital counseling is tailored to your situation. Some couples who come to premarriage counseling rate their current relationship happiness as a nine or ten out of ten. These couples may only need a couple of sessions. Some couples wonder if they should go through with it or are getting cold feet. Some couples want to be proactive and work on things like healthy communication. Others want to understand common pitfalls in marriage and how to avoid them.
2. How can premarital counseling help your relationship before marriage?
It can set your mind at ease by teaching you tools that can help in the present and the future. It can help you with concerns about planning or having a wedding if you so choose. It can help you deal with friends and parents who might be getting in the way of what you want for your wedding.
3. What should you expect from premarital counseling sessions?
That largely depends on you. It depends on where you are and what you need. Some couples want to discuss important questions they may not have thought of, such as “What are expectations for interacting with the opposite sex after marriage?” or “If you get pregnant, would you have genetic testing done, and what would you do if the results were not what you hoped for?”
4. Who should go to premarital counseling – just the bride and groom, or both sets of parents too?
It is usually sufficient for just the partners and not their parents/
5. Premarital counseling myths busted!
a. We are afraid we may be told we aren’t compatible and shouldn’t get married.
The decision to commit to one another is your choice. If you want to talk about whether you should go through with it because you have doubts, we can help. You won’t be told you shouldn’t get married.
b. We are afraid we will be judged for our previous or current lifestyle
Your lifestyle is your business. You won’t be judged for your past. You won’t be judged for your decisions before the ceremony.
c. We will spend most of our time talking about wedding planning
Premarriage counseling at Cardinal Point Counseling is not about wedding planning. We won’t ask you if you’ve ordered flowers or have a venue. The purpose is to focus primarily on your relationship and leave the wedding details to you or whomever you enlist. You can also read about five important questions to address in marriage counseling.
