Premarital Counselling
Engaged or thinking about marriage? Our team can help determine which premarital program is best for you, and set your relationship up for a strong start.
FAQ About Premarital Counselling
What is Premarital Counselling?
Premarital counselling is a preventative form of couples therapy that aims to reduce the negative impact of future relational conflict, by getting to your relationship blind spots and work through areas that you may keep getting stuck.
Historically, Premarital services have been connected to certain religious traditions as a prerequisite for marriage. However in a modern context, faith and spirituality are not necessarily the focus of sessions (unless this is a priority for the couple). So what can you expect? A couple sits down with a trained counsellor to have a series of deliberate conversations, allowing each person to learn more about themselves, their partner, and the relationship they have co-created.
More and more couples are choosing premarital counselling as a preventative opportunity to build relational self-awareness. If you are at an earlier stage in your relationship, counselling can help you build the skills and understanding needed to strengthen your relationship for the rest of your life. If you are considering this for your own relationship, we highly recommend reading our article: 7 Reasons Premarital Counselling is Worth Considering.
What Premarital Counselling Services are Available?
Our couples counsellors offer two main premarital programs: 1) PREPARE/ENRICH, which is more structured, and 2) Exploratory Premarital counselling. Read on to learn about how they differ.
PREPARE/ENRICH Premarital Program
Our premarital counsellors are certified as PREPARE/ENRICH facilitators, considered to be one of the leading relationship and couples assessment tools. It has been scientifically validated and automatically tailors the content of the relationship assessment to fit each couple’s unique relationship needs.
In this program, each partner fills in an online questionnaire, designed to measure relationship strengths, growth areas, personality similarities, and differences. Our counsellor then reviews the results and couples are taught skills to enhance their relationship in these key areas. Couples are also provided with a concise report to take home.
Learn more about the PREPARE/ENRICH Premarital Program here.
Exploratory Premarital Sessions
Alternatively, we are also happy to offer less structured premarital sessions. Typically, this involves covering all sort of topics, based on what each of you have flagged as important, as well as what tends to cause challenges in relationships. These sessions will have educational parts, where your therapist will do some teaching (skills, concepts, etc.) to help you and your partner enhance your relational IQ.
In this case, you would simply book ‘Couples Counselling’ with one of our couples therapists, and make a note at the time of booking that this is what you are seeking. In either case, your counsellor with speak with you and your partner to establish goals for your time together.
I Want to Get Started with Premarital Counselling - What are the Steps?
Step 1: Connect with one of our counsellors to set up your profile – Saba is currently accepting new premarital clients
Step 2: A link to the PREPARE relationship assessment is sent to each partner to fill out (if applicable)
Step 3: Your therapist will review the results and make a plan for your work together
Step 4: Meet for you first session!
Step 5: Set the pace for your meetings, depending on your goals and schedule
What are the Benefits of Premarital Counselling?
Entering counselling prior to marriage is a great way to enhance your confidence in the relationship and prepare for the journey ahead. In this more proactive form of counselling, you can expect to:
- Work through any disagreements or differences ahead of time
- Strengthen your understanding of and appreciation for your partner so you are starting out on the right foot
- Learn tools that can reduce future conflict and carry you through stressful times
- Explore expectations with your partner so that you can create a shared vision for the future
What Topics are Covered?
- Communication & conflict management
- Personality differences
- Personal habits
- Roles & responsibilities
- Division-of-labour
- Assumptions & expectations about marriage
- Goals & values
- Finances & money
- Sex & intimacy
- Stress management
- Family planning
Get started on your own by accessing our Conversation Starters Before Marriage, which can help guide you and your partner through many of these topics. Or you can book with one of our counsellors for individual counselling or alongside your partner.
Ready to Get Started?
Our team of counsellors offer both in-person and virtual sessions to suit your needs. If you’re not sure who to book with, we’d be happy to match you with a counsellor that’s the right fit.
Our Premarital Counsellors
Saba Hessamian
Jennifer Wright
