Are You And Your Partner Ready For Marriage?

Are you worried that you and your partner are not fully ready to take the leap into married life? Do you feel overwhelmed by the stress of moving in with your partner, planning your wedding or beginning to share your finances? Perhaps you and your fiancé have never experienced conflict in your relationship, and you do not know how the two of you will handle potential challenges in the future. It’s also possible that you and your partner share a strong bond with each other, but you disagree on many major life decisions, such as having kids or balancing family responsibilities, and you worry you may not be able to arrive at a compromise. Do you wish you could strengthen your bond with your partner and prepare yourselves for a loving and resilient marriage?

While getting married is an exciting time in you and your partner’s lives, you may also struggle with worry and uncertainty. The major life changes you are currently going through, such as blending households and uniting your families, may be taking an emotional toll on your partnership. You and your partner may feel so overwhelmed by wedding decisions and preparations for your married life that you do not have many opportunities to spend meaningful time together. You may be concerned that if you are facing relationship challenges before you get married, the two of you may continue to drift apart in the future. Or maybe, you and your partner have not experienced much conflict in your relationship, but you are interested in bolstering your connection so you can confidently overcome future obstacles as a united, loving team.

It’s Very Common To Feel Excited And Nervous About Marriage

Getting married is one of the biggest commitments couples can make. Even when partners have a positive relationship and love each other, they still often struggle with questions about the upcoming marriage, worrying whether their bond will be able to withstand the test of time. It’s also common for engaged couples to reflect on the past tension in their relationships and wonder if they will slip back into negative patterns.

To add to the stress of this major life transition, engaged couples are sometimes faced with high expectations to appear happy and successful to their family members, friends and coworkers. When these expectations are not met, partners may start to question whether their relationship is as healthy as they had imagined.

While getting married can cause many couples to question the strength of their bond, the good news is that with the help of an experienced therapist, you and you partner can start your journey into married life with a strong foundation of love and support.

Fortify Your Connection With Your Partner With Pre-Marriage Counseling

During collaborative premarital counseling sessions, you and your partner will have the chance to learn more about each other, as well as address current and/or potential future tension in your relationship. Because each partnership is different, your sessions will be tailored to you and your partner’s specific needs, strengths and interests.

An important component to our pre-marriage counseling sessions is gaining a better awareness of your relationship’s strengths and areas for improvement. Together, we will work to better understand what makes your connection thrive, as well as where you and your partner may get stuck. We’ll look ahead to potential problems or difficult decisions you may need to face together, such as starting a family or embarking on a career change. Taking the time now to plan for life hurdles can offer you greater stability and security as you look forward in your marriage.

If you are experiencing conflict in your relationship, we will work together to modify the way you communicate with each other — specifically focusing on helping you both feel heard and understood. By practicing listening exercises and slowing down your conversations, you’ll be able to better express your needs and genuinely consider and better understand those of your partner.

You and your partner may also benefit from exploring therapy through an attachment lens. We will look back to each of your past experiences in meaningful relationships and assess whether any previous pain, neglect or turmoil may affect your current relationship. If so, the three of us can work together to heal these past wounds and prevent future issues in your marriage.

As someone who is married with children, I understand that getting married can take an emotional toll on both of your lives. Since 2006, I have helped couples learn more about each other and prepare themselves for loving and rewarding marriages. Even though you both may feel uncertain or nervous, you can bolster your relationship and confidently move forward together with the support of pre-marriage counseling.

You and your partner may be interested in pre-marriage counseling, but you still have questions and concerns…

We’re already spending so much money and time on our wedding. Why should we spend more on couples therapy?

Relationship counseling is a lifelong investment in your marriage. Right now, it is understandable that you feel overwhelmed with planning your wedding and your shared future. However, the most important part of your marriage is the strength and resilience of your bond with your partner. By working with an experienced therapist now, instead of when future life obstacles arise, you’ll have the opportunity to start your marriage on a strong foundation, knowing you will be prepared to mitigate future tension and rely on each other for loving support. In the long run, this can actually be a money saver.

Is premarital counseling religious?

Many religious faiths offer, and sometimes require, family counseling before a marriage. This is not the type of therapy I provide. Instead of using external sources to guide our sessions, I will be focused on you and your partner’s specific needs and interests.

We just got married. Can we still receive marriage guidance?

Congratulations on your marriage! The earlier you seek marriage counseling, the better prepared you will be for future challenges.  I can offer you personalized advice for newlyweds to help your bond flourish in the years ahead.

Build A Lasting Foundation Of Love

If you and your partner are ready to gain a deeper understanding of your relationship and prepare for a rewarding marriage together, please contact me at 303-641-2023 to schedule a free phone consultation. We can talk about you and your partner’s needs as well as how counseling can help the two of you strengthen your connection.