“These are things I never got taught. I’m grateful. We are much better at overcoming differences of opinion. We can get married with lots of confidence.” (Client)
Pre-marital couples counselling is not necessarily something on couples’ minds when they are busy planning their wedding. But making a life-long commitment to each other deserves some deeper contemplation about what it takes to create a relationship that stands the test of time.
This is where pre-marital couples counselling can make a huge difference. People often think that seeking the support of a couples counsellor before tying the knot implies some sort of weakness. But the right kind of relationship support can give you the best possibility of success in the long run.
“To be honest, I had some doubts about us - they seemed to be getting in the way after we decided to get married. I know we’ve given ourselves the best chance now and I’m not nervous about our future anymore.” (Client)
Once the excitement of a wedding slowly fades after the big day, having the skills to make a relationship work is essential for long-term happiness. You may have made your choice about who you’d like to spend the rest of your life with, but have you invested enough time and energy in creating the right foundations for long-lasting love?
“Our way of handling conflict was to avoid it, which didn’t work. There’s much healthier way of doing things and we know what to do.” (Client)
Pre-marital counselling focuses on the processes to effectively guarantee your marriage will last. Key areas of focus include how to:
Avoid the pitfalls that erode trust and can cause major rifts
Regulate emotions to maintain that loving feeling
Proactively build unbreakable friendship, love and appreciation
Stay emotionally connected and avoid drifting apart
Harness your shared vision to fulfil your life goals together
Understanding these psychological processes and learning the relevant skills takes the mystery out of long-lasting love and commitment. When marriages fail, it is almost always the case that the right relationship skills were lacking from the start.
Ensure you go from strength to strength in married life by setting up some pre-marital counselling for yourselves. Some comments made by people who have had pre-marital counselling:
“We knew we wanted to spend our lives together, but there were some unhealthy patterns holding us back. That’s gone now and we both have more confidence in ‘us’ now.” (Client)
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