There can be many benefits to counseling for unmarried couples who are living together, or even just seriously dating. For those who are early in their relationship, premarital or other preventative counseling fosters good relationship habits and nips minor issues before they grow. There is nothing to fear about looking at your relationship in a pro-active way.
Engagement and wedding planning can be a very stressful time for couples, introducing a variety of financial, family, and values issues for the first time, while expectations are at a peak! Getting premarital counseling gives a couple an outlet for working through those, and valuable lessons in how to get along.
And it’s not just a focus on problems. I encourage and facilitate your positive interaction to strengthen your relationship.
There are many everyday stresses in cohabitation that are no different than those of marriage. Perhaps there are even more, when living together without a formal and defined commitment.
Often when a couple is unsure about their compatibility, that doubt itself is gnawing and unhelpful. Are these red flags, or surmountable problems?
Expectations for committed relationships such as marriages have never been greater, as people stay single longer and look for a complete partnership with a spouse. At the same time, divorce and infidelity are rampant, or at least dissatisfaction seems to be the norm, and no one wants the fate of a stagnant or empty marriage. When there is a question about whether to commit more seriously, and the stakes are high, I can help focus the discussion in a productive way.