Premarital Counseling Near Me: Exploring Treatment Options
Reaching the point that you and your partner are willing to commit your lives to each other and get engaged is an important milestone in your relationship. As you prepare for the wedding, including premarital counseling in your schedule can help you create a solid foundation to build your marriage. Read on to discover the meaning, benefits, and treatment options for premarital counseling and how it can benefit your relationship.
What is premarital counseling?
Premarital counseling is a form of couples therapy focused on helping engaged couples learn vital information about each other and form a realistic plan for communication and conflict in their future marriage. This therapy helps engaged people discuss important issues—from financial habits to parenting ideals—so they can get on the same wavelength before getting married. These conversations help couples identify potentially problematic issues, and your therapist can help you develop realistic, practical ways to resolve conflicts and communicate your needs and feelings to your partner.
What does premarital counseling do?
Premarital counseling reveals the crucial things they need to know about each other to engaged couples while teaching them to express their needs and emotions and establishing ways to work through problems together. Participating in couples therapy before you get married can help you get to know your partner better and help you two build a solid foundation for a healthy, thriving marriage.
Benefits of premarital counseling
Below is a list of the most common benefits of counseling before marriage:
- Build communication skills together. Studies show that open communication is often at the heart of successful long-term relationships.
- Discover and make plans for potential problems.
- Plan a timeline for your marriage, such as when to have kids, buy a home, etc.
- Establish plans for how to resolve conflicts when they arise.
- Learn more about your partner and yourself by sharing past histories and influences.
- Grow together with the guidance and support of a licensed therapist.
Premarital counseling treatment options
After getting engaged, ask your partner if they'd be willing to attend premarital counseling to ensure you're both equipped with the tools required to build a healthy, lasting marriage. Once you agree, it can help to know how to find your treatment possibilities.
Google “premarital counseling near me” to find in-person options
Couples looking for face-to-face therapy before getting married can start the search by Googling “premarital counseling near me” to find the local offices. From there, you can call each office to see who is accepting new patients and schedule an appointment. Keep in mind that if you or your fiancé don’t fit well with the therapist and the office doesn’t have other available providers, you may have to start the process again.
Access a comprehensive network of providers online
Another treatment option you may want to consider is online premarital counseling. Virtual therapy platforms offer access to a much wider range of treatment providers, all from the comfort and convenience of your home.
Find a provider who makes you both feel comfortable
One of the common misconceptions associated with therapy is that you’re stuck with a provider who doesn’t make you comfortable or fit your needs and personality. Effective treatment requires an honest, trusting relationship with your therapist, and you shouldn't settle for someone who makes it challenging to share your emotions or be understood.
Premarital counseling approaches
Your therapist may specialize in a specific type of premarital counseling. It can be helpful to know what types of treatment approaches are available. When talking to your therapist for the first time, ask questions about their experience and which approach they prefer when helping couples through the premarital stage.
Gottman method
This method begins with a detailed assessment of both partners and addresses conflict areas with a therapeutic framework. The goals of the Gottman Method involve increasing the emotional intimacy in your relationship, building a higher quality of friendship between partners, and teaching you the problem-solving and conflict-resolution tools that help you construct a stronger, healthier relationship.
Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)
This type of premarital therapy focuses on building the attachment between you and your fiancé, helping you strengthen your bond. Intended as a short-term therapy, EFT can help you and your partner learn better communication and create a stronger relationship.
Psychodynamic couples therapy
This treatment approach examines underlying issues that may influence your interactions. Together, you'll identify and express your physical, mental, and emotional needs and expectations from your partner in a marriage. People with issues related to abandonment, disapproval, or past trauma may benefit from this therapy, as it helps partners understand one another and how they both think, act, and feel.
What to expect from premarital counseling
You may be wondering how premarital counseling works. Throughout several sessions, your therapist will get to know you and help you know each other better using some of the following techniques.
Assessing both partners
Many therapists like to assess both partners' emotional state and commitment when beginning premarital therapy. You and your fiancé will likely be asked to complete questionnaires separately, answering questions about how you feel about each other and your expectations for your future marriage. The answers can help your therapist determine your strengths and weaknesses as a couple, along with potential areas of conflict and compatibility.
Sharing past histories
The life you live before meeting your fiancé can significantly influence how you think, behave, and process your emotions. Premarital counseling can help you explore the crucial elements of your histories and how they currently affect you.
Discussing crucial issues
Planning for your future together and ensuring you have a realistic idea of what married life will be like is another vital aspect of premarital counseling. Discuss topics like finances, children, religion, and other things likely to affect your future marriage.
How premarital counseling helps you know your fiancé better
Studies show that many couples get engaged between two and five years after they begin dating, so there’s a good chance that you know quite a lot about your partner. However, premarital counseling can help you explore subjects you may not be comfortable bringing up independently or may not think to discuss before entwining your lives.
Establish open communication channels and effective strategies
Learn how to talk to each other, express what you're feeling, and tell your partner what you need. You will also learn how to listen so you can hear and understand what they’re telling you.
Discuss your plans for children and parenting
Avoid being blindsided by the knowledge that your partner doesn’t want children or plans to raise them in a way you object to by discussing your timelines and opinions about having and raising children.
Outline expectations and needs from marriage
Neither you nor your partner are mind readers, so if you expect your partner to do something for you, make sure they know what you want and need from them to feel loved, seen, and understood in your marriage.
Identify problem areas and strengths
Discover the areas where you two show the most potential for discord and harmony. Premarital therapy doesn’t just highlight what’s wrong with your relationship. It showcases what’s right, too.
When to start premarital counseling
Many couples go through pre-engagement counseling when first discussing getting engaged. Once you've popped the question or said yes, it can be a great time to think about premarital counseling so you start your marriage equipped with the skills to build a life together.
Potential problems premarital counseling can reveal the following:
- Drastic differences in fundamental values
- Substantial debt that could affect your future together
- Lifestyle and sexual proclivities
- Expectations for sex, intimacy, and roles in the marriage
- Differences of opinion about having children or child rearing
- Inability to share feelings or communicate effectively
- Conflicting ideas about religion
- Family history and past experiences
How therapy can help build strong marriages
Though fairy tales would have you believe love is all you need for happily ever after, successful relationships require work to build the connections and trust between you and your partner. Consider working with a licensed premarital counselor online through a virtual relationship therapy platform like Regain. Therapy can teach you practical communication and conflict-resolution skills while helping you learn critical information about each other with the support and guidance of a mental health professional.
For the past few years, flexible mental health treatment has been brought to the forefront of public interest. Studies show that online and in-person couples therapy and premarital counseling show similar outcomes. Both groups demonstrated increased relationship satisfaction and decreased symptoms related to stress, anxiety, and depression. Online treatments are often more cost-effective, involve shorter wait times, and provide access to a much more comprehensive network of treatment providers. You can easily find someone who fits your personality and your partner’s while making you both feel comfortable.
Takeaway
Deciding to marry someone is one of the most impactful choices you’ll ever make, and many couples choose to prepare for their life together by using premarital counseling to identify and address issues in the relationship before they become problematic. The information presented in this article offers insight into the benefits of premarital therapy and the available treatment options.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How much does premarital counseling cost?
One of the most frequent questions regarding premarital counseling near me is how much it costs. On average, a one-hour session of premarital counseling costs $125 to $175. You should keep in mind that most couples go to an average of five premarital counseling sessions so that the total cost can range from about $625 to $875. Some practitioners of premarital counseling near me use a sliding scale to determine the cost of therapy. But several factors can impact the therapy cost and make it either more affordable or more expensive.
For instance, what type of premarital counselor will be administering premarital counseling? Oftentimes, churches offer free premarital counseling to active members. Meanwhile, a certified couples counselor or licensed therapist tends to come with a higher therapy cost. Premarital counselors may cost more or less due to differences in education and certification, the number of therapy sessions you choose to attend, and whether they are affiliated with a religious organization.
Another huge factor is whether you choose to attend premarital counseling near me or prefer online counseling. Online counseling is often much more affordable, and you can speak to a licensed therapist or couples counselor from the comfort of your own home.
Does healthcare cover premarital counseling?
If you’re interested in finding premarital counseling near me, you might be wondering whether the best premarital counselors are covered by insurance. Unfortunately, most standard health insurance plans do not cover premarital counseling, relationship counseling, or family counseling. For the therapy cost to be covered by insurance, there must be proof of a mental illness or other mental health issues. Relationship problems aren’t categorized as a mental health service when it comes to insurance, although they have a major impact on mental health. You may be able to find a premarital counselor whose services are covered by your insurance, but it’s not very common.
Luckily, there are a few creative ways that you may be able to use your insurance to cover premarital counseling. If one of the people in the relationship has a mental illness diagnosis, their individual insurance may cover relationship counseling as a part of their treatment plan. If both partners have a diagnosis of a mental health issue, you could alternate using each individual’s insurance. You could also take advantage of your out-of-network benefits if you have them. Of course, paying your couples counselor out of pocket is always an option as well, although it is more expensive.
However, there are ways to save money on premarital counseling, and there are some free alternatives. Nonprofit organizations and local community initiatives may offer premarital counseling near me at free or reduced prices; ask your doctor or social worker for more information specific to your area. You can also try contacting spiritual organizations, local universities, and mental health programs to see if they offer any relationship counseling. Group counseling is another option that allows you to learn from marriage counselors and premarital counselors alongside other couples. It’s often less expensive than individual sessions with premarital counselors.
How do I find a good premarital counselor?
It might seem difficult to find a premarital counselor at first. When in doubt, remember that the best premarital counselors are the ones you feel completely comfortable with. A quick Google search for “premarital counseling near me” will reveal plenty of in-person and online counseling options. Still, it’s essential to find a premarital counselor who has an approach that works for you. It’s important to choose a premarital counselor who your general religious beliefs because your religious affiliation tends to substantially affect how you view roles and responsibilities in a marriage.
So beyond looking for “premarital counseling near me,” you’ll also need to ensure that any potential premarital counselors have education and experience. It’s even better if you can get good recommendations for premarital counselors new from friends, family, or online. Be sure to check out therapists’ locations and office hours to make sure they’re convenient for you as well. In blended families, you may want to consider family counseling and premarital counseling to help all members of the family feel comfortable with the transition that marriage brings.
You may also want to consider group counseling as an alternative to seeing a premarital counselor. Group counseling allows you to learn from premarital counselors and marriage counselors, along with a few other couples. You can learn from each other’s problems and lean on one another for support as you prepare for marriage.
Should you do premarital counseling?
When looking to find a premarital counselor, you may wonder whether all the effort is worth it. Studies have shown that couples who participate in premarital counseling have a 30% higher chance of a successful marriage. Clearly, this type of relationship counseling with a licensed therapist can be extremely effective! Premarital counselors can help you set up a successful marriage with healthy communication and conflict resolution skills.
One common misconception is that you need to be having issues in your relationship to seek the help of premarital counselors. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Premarital counselors and marriage counselors are helpful for every relationship, even if you’re perfectly happy with your partner! There’s no harm in learning how to communicate more effectively or safely discussing topics that could cause conflict down the line. A premarital counselor can enable you to make a strong relationship even stronger!
Remember that your wedding day, although very important, is just one day out of your entire life. Your marriage is meant to last forever! Therefore, speaking with a premarital counselor before the big day should be just as important as choosing between a band or DJ. The best premarital counselors can help couples form realistic expectations regarding marriage, foster a deeper commitment level, and provide an easier adjustment to married life. Once you’re married, marriage counselors can continue to help you adjust to this new stage.
When should you start premarital counseling?
If you are engaged, then you should start attending premarital counseling near me as soon as possible! Begin looking into premarital counselors new and experienced as soon as you can. Many couples wait until just a few weeks before the wedding to find a premarital counselor, but it’s better to get started as early as possible. That way, you have plenty of time to work out any potential issues with premarital counselors, new or experienced, and set a truly solid foundation for your marriage!
Before you walk into premarital counseling near me, you may want to consider some of the most common topics that the average premarital counselor discusses. One commonly discussed theme is expectations for the marriage. This is closely related to role beliefs as well. The best premarital counselors will also ask plenty of questions about each partner’s past and how it affects their behaviors in the relationship.
Since finances are often a huge cause of conflict in marriage, be prepared to get into the nitty-gritty details of your future finances and budgeting strategies. A premarital counselor will also help you devise a plan for healthy conflict resolution, talk about plans for children, discuss intimacy, and provide methods for effective communication.
So if you are engaged, go ahead and type “premarital counseling near me” into the search bar! It’s never too soon to find a premarital counselor and begin laying the foundation for a successful marriage. Or, if you are already married, don’t hesitate to look into marriage counselors or even family counseling with a licensed therapist. Even healthy relationships and families can benefit from counseling!
What do they ask you in premarital counseling?
Is premarital counseling a good idea?
What are the pros and cons of premarital counseling?
Does premarital counseling reduce divorce rates?
Which of the following is the single best predictor of marital success?
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