Premarital counseling, as the name suggests is a couple’s counseling before they are married. It plays a critical role in preparing couples for marriage. Couples have started seeking premarital counseling because of the benefit it provides. Premarital counseling is effective mainly because it gives couples a chance to work on their problems before it becomes bigger than they can handle. The main goal of premarital counseling is to help couples discuss important topics such as finances, children, religion, fidelity, etc. and how these matters will affect their marriage in the future. During the counseling process, couples also learn how to express themselves and communicate effectively. It helps them recognize what they want out of the partnership and how to manage their expectations. Studies have shown couples who seek premarital counseling have relationship satisfaction and some studies have even suggested that divorce rates are lower by an astonishing 50% within these groups.
Problems in marriage are inevitable, premarital counseling can help couples address these issues in advance to minimize their impact in the future. Premarital counseling has many benefits and among many below are few of them:
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving skills
- Effective communication
- Financial management
- Aids intimacy
- Manages expectations
- Manages differences
- Builds deep understanding and empathy
- Manages parenting style conflicts
Premarital counseling is more relevant these days due to high divorce rates. Often times, couples are so involved in their wedding planning that they fail to seek help. In addition to wedding planning, it’s important for couples to schedule premarital counseling to build a strong foundation pre-marriage. Through the guidance of a therapist, couples can have the tough and uncomfortable conversations before they become an issue in the future. During the engagement/courtship phase, couples are often so blinded by infatuation that they fail to see big red flags in their relationship. Premarital counseling can help shed some light on those concerns, so these issues can be worked on before entering marriage.
Premarital counseling can help couples build a deeper bond by highlighting their true motives and expectations out of their marriage. This will significantly minimize any misunderstanding that may arise in the future. A successful marriage is a possibility when the people involved are willing to put in the work and premarital counseling is the beginning of that journey.
Reference
Meyers, S. (2011, September 21). Benefits of Pre-Marital Counseling: Successful Marriage. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-is-2020/201109/benefits-pre-marital-counseling-successful-marriage
Moshe Ratson is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from New York. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.spiral2grow.com/the-importance-of-premarital-counseling/
Schofield, M. J., Mumford, N., Jurkovic, D., Jurkovic, I., & Bickerdike, A. (2012). Short and long-term effectiveness of couple counselling: A study protocol. BMC Public Health, 12(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-735
Tartakovsky, M. (2018, July 08). The Benefits of Premarital Counseling & How to Find a Therapist. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-benefits-of-premarital-counseling-how-to-find-a-therapist/
5 Benefits of Premarital Counseling. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/lists/5-benefits-of-premarital-counseling/