Premarital Counseling Information
And Tips to Finding a Therapist
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Premarital counseling is a preventative tool, a way to maintain a healthy connection in the relationship and create a lasting commitment through effective communication. Relationships are like an investment: the more you put into it, the more it will grow and mature. The more it grows and matures, the more you get out of it. Statistics show that nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce (US Census Bureau, February 2002), thus premarital counseling is a way to help couples stay out of this terrible percentage of divorce.
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What to Expect in Pre-Marriage Counseling:
Depending on the therapist, most counselors will explore many avenues of the relationship. Some of the many areas addressed are conflict resolution, communication styles, intimacy, family/family-in-law issues, financial issues, and more. As a premarital therapist, I help couples understand how they interact, ways to be more effective in communicating, and how to maintain a healthy relationship. Most of my premarital counseling sessions are short-term, lasting about 3 sessions, yet other couples may require longer treatment depending on the issues.
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What to expect in Pre Marriage Counseling:
Depending on the therapist, most counselors will explore many aspects of the relationship. Some of the areas addressed are conflict resolutions, communication styles, intimacy, family/family-in-law issues, financial issues, and more. As a therapist, I help my couples understand how they interact, ways to be more effective in communicating, and how to continue growing in the relationship. Most of my premarital counseling sessions are short-term, lasting about 2 to 4 sessions, yet other couples may require a longer amount of time, depending on the issues.
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Thinking about Premarital Therapy? If you are thinking about counseling, here are my recommendations in finding a therapist.
Finding a Premarital Therapist in San Diego:
- Contact 2 to 3 Relationship Counselors: Contact 2 to 3 therapists and do the interview process. Take notes and keep track with the one you feel the most comfortable with. Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are specialized in relationships and communicating. I highly recommend using a therapist specifically trained in relationships.
- Interview the Therapist: The San Diego market is full of marriage therapists. Ask the psychotherapist what their specialty is and the experience they have working with premarital counseling. This is your time to interview and weed out the therapists that you do not like. The internet is a popular place to look for psychotherapists: take a look at their photos, review their websites, and learn other information about them.
- Comfort with the Therapist: While interviewing the therapist, the most important thing to keep in mind is your comfort level. Do you feel comfortable speaking with the therapist? Do you feel like the therapist understands you and can provide what you want?
- Fees: Be honest with yourself and determine what you are willing to invest in the relationship. I feel like the relationship is the foundation, and everything else is positively or negatively impacted by it. If you can’t afford a therapist’s fee, ask if they have a sliding scale (a lower fee slot) or if they have any recommendations.
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