Should We Go to Premarital Counseling?

So you got engaged to your sweetie, woohoo!! If you want to keep the knot tied for the long haul, make sure to do your due diligence and get all the skeletons out of your closet. I.e. PREMARITAL COUNSELING.

Think you should wait until problems arise? Think again. Once couples are already married, research shows that there is a 6 year wait of negativity built up by the time married couples get to counseling. You don’t have to wait until it is too late to start your marriage on the right track.

I did a podcast interview with local therapist Claudia Matos, LCSW in Longwood about this very topic. You can check that out here.

In that episode we covered

• Why she found premarital counseling extremely beneficial for her own relationship before marriage

• What the SYMBIS Assessment for premarital work is

• How a Couples Therapist reviews the SYMBIS Assessment with clients

• What compromises can look like after reviewing the feedback in the assessment

• What you do when the assessment indicates your relationship is not compatible

• How gender roles factor into a marriage

• Common challenges that partners face when it comes to sex

• How to find solutions to sexual challenges

• Your premarital counselor will not judge you

• Barriers that prevent couples from doing premarital counseling

Still not convinced to give premarital therapy a try? Here are some benefits to name a few:

1. It Builds Communication Skills & Provides an Opportunity to Address Issues BEFORE they get worse

   1. I hate to burst your honeymoon phase bubble but…all couples fight. And yes, you and your partner will get into fights. That’s okay! The thing you want to be mindful of is how you fight. With the help of a trained couples therapist that specializes in Gottman Method or Emotion Focused therapy, you will learn better ways to discuss conflict instead of letting any of the Four Horsemen show up in your arguments.

2. It Helps Couples Plan the Future

   1. Wondered what ever happened after happily ever after in the movies? Roll credits! The media doesn’t show you all the lifestyle differences and adaptations that couples have to face after a big transition such as marriage. Premarital counseling can be structured and directive in talking about several aspects of a relationship that you and your partner may not have addressed yet. Premarital therapy can help you avoid surprises and set up healthy expectations for your relationship.

3. It Allows Couples to Discover New Things About Themselves

   1. A good couples therapist will help you learn about yourself and your partner. New discoveries could be deeply held values or beliefs about what a marriage should look like, division of labor in sharing household chores, how to manage finances together, and so on.

If you want to give your relationship a jumpstart and work out the kinks before they become bigger, try premarital counseling today. Click the Request appointment button or send us an email at the contact button below.