Pre-Marital Counseling:

Marriage can be full of excitement and joy.   For most of us, we learn our ideals of marriage from what we observe growing up, both the positive and the negative.  We may observe some characteristics of a married couple that we hope to carry into our own marriage and other characteristics that we vow not to copy.  The important fact to recognize is that a marriage is between two individuals, each of whom brings their own experiences, observations, and expectations of marriage to the union.  While there are similarities that drew you together, often there are also differences.

Pre-marital counseling allows an opportunity to identify beliefs, expectations, and goals for a marriage.  The therapist is a neutral third party that can help you and your partner establish healthy communication patterns. This then allows you to work together to address common topics such as finances, family planning, and the role of extended family in your relationship.  Pre-marital counseling offers you and your partner a chance to set a plan in place for navigating the excitements of a new marriage as well as the challenges that can occur.