Premarital Counseling

Marriage as God intends it to be is declining within our society today. Our culture tears at the things which build a solid, trusting, intimate relationship with our spouse. People often fail to understand the seriousness of marriage, and enter into what should be a life-long commitment without thinking it through fully. Premarital Christian counseling helps couples take a close look at what it means to be married and gain a head start towards building a healthy, life-long relationship. Premarital couples are understandably enamored with each other and focused on planning the perfect wedding. During this exciting time, some couples don’t think to address the necessary things for building a healthy marriage. Once the blissful phase of the relationship begins to dwindle, couples can begin experiencing troubles they never considered possible. Christian premarital counseling can help you establish realistic expectations for your marriage, and offer tools for solving conflict now and in the future. Through premarital counseling, you and your partner can discuss important issues pertaining to your future together, marital expectations, and intentionally work together to build a stronger more intimate relationship.

The Purpose of Premarital Christian Counseling

Simply stated, the purpose of premarital Christian counseling is to help you and your partner improve your relationship before marriage, and prepare you for common issues marriages face. During premarital Christian counseling, your counselor will help you discover and give you the tools to work through issues that stand in the way of building a lasting, healthy relationship.

Common Goals In Premarital Christian Counseling Include:

• Forming better communication skills.
• Learning how to resolve conflict in a healthy manner.
• Identifying strengths and growth areas that each partner will bring into the marriage.
• Help couples anticipate future problems they might encounter, and how they might handle those issues.

Issues Which Premarital Christian Counseling Can Help Resolve Include:

• Money and finances
• Sexual expectations
• Decision making
• Dealing with anger
• Issues involving extended family
• Children and parenting
• Relationship roles and dynamics
• Faith and spiritual development as a couple

Whatever your reasons are for seeking premarital Christian counseling, our compassionate and skilled counselors are here to offer unbiased mediation, new perspectives, and guidance to help you build the marriage you want.

What Premarital Christian Counseling Can Do For Your Marriage

In addition to helping you and your fiancé improve communication, set goals for your marriage, and develop conflict-resolution skills, premarital Christian counseling also helps you to realize that you each bring your own opinions, values, and history into the relationship. People typically enter marriage with the expectation of finding emotional, financial, social, and sexual fulfillment, but don’t realize that getting there can be a long and arduous process. After marriage, you might find that your expectations and needs don’t always align. Discussing your differences and marital goals before you take your vows can help you to better understand and fulfill each other’s desires and expectations. Premarital Christian counseling helps you and your partner form a strong, Christ-centered foundation for your marriage, which when established in the beginning of your marriage can provide strength and stability in years to come.

At Tacoma Christian Counseling, our Christian counselors are passionate about helping you and your partner grow together in faith as you learn to better love and appreciate each other, so you can enjoy marriage as God intends it.

The Benefits of a Christian Approach Towards Premarital Counseling

Faith-based premarital counseling offers everything secular counseling provides, and more. Like other, non-religious counseling providers, Tacoma Christian Counseling offers proven, evidence-based counseling methods. Our Christian marriage counselors are trained in understanding various relationship dynamics and offer guidance from a Christianity perspective. Christian counseling aims to provide a more well-rounded approach to healing, encompassing the mind, body, and spirit. We believe that spiritual battles have a powerful effect on our emotional and psychological well being, and both require healing at times. Premarital Christian counseling also helps each of you develop a better understanding and appreciation of how your partner expresses his or her faith. This is an important part in learning about who you are, and where you want to be. Your Christian counselor will encourage you and your partner to engage each other in what faith means for you and how hope it will play out both now and in the future.

Whatever your beliefs might be, our counselors are happy to help anyone of any background find compassionate solutions for building the marriage you want.

What to Expect in Premarital Christian Counseling

The approach towards premarital Christian counseling varies from counselor to counselor but always works to be aligned with what would be most beneficial for your situation. Some counselors have specific premarital programs, while others utilize premarital inventories and conduct sessions more in line with couples counseling. Both methods are effective in helping premarital couples prepare for the challenges of marriage. As for counseling methods, there are several which are useful, depending on your needs and the areas of your relationship which require attention.

Common Premarital Counseling Methods Include:

• Psychodynamic counseling
  • to address family of origin issues and how they affect your relationship today.
• Cognitive behavioral counseling
  • to help resolve communication issues and unhealthy behavior patterns.
• Solution focused therapy
  • to establish goals and ways to overcome future struggles.
• Emotionally focused therapy
  • to help couples manage stressors and negative emotional responses within the relationship.

Your premarital Christian counselor will talk with you and your partner, while creating a compassionate place for you both to communicate openly and effectively, so you can enjoy each other fully and look forward to a new future together.

Premarital Christian Counseling for Blended Families

After suffering unsuccessful relationships, finding someone who offers a new chance at love and companionship can feel like a God send. While this can be wonderful, there are many complications which couples often overlook. People frequently enter a new marriage with the misconception that they have learned all they can from the mistakes within past relationships, making them less likely to repeat negative patterns this time around. If they have parented children of their own, that person often believes they have the tools needed to become a successful step-parent. These well-intended, understandable, but often misguided assumptions lead to an inability to overcome the stresses involved in managing a healthy blended family because it leaves you unprepared for the challenges you will likely face. Premarital Christian counseling can help you prepare for what’s ahead, so you stand a stronger chance at beating the statistical 67 percent divorce rate for second marriages.

Premarital Christian Counseling For Blended Families Can Help You:

• Develop realistic expectations and goals for your new marriage and family.
• Understand what caused the previous marriage to end to break destructive patterns
• Understand blended family dynamics.
• Improve communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Discuss how to manage past relationships with those whom you have children.
• Overcome past hurts from failed relationships.
• Explore the needs and expectations of each partner.
• Talk about issues pertaining to parenting both biological and stepchildren.

Having a healthy, joyous marriage with a new spouse, and loving relationships with stepchildren is possible, but balancing everything that comes with the blended family dynamic can be difficult. Premarital Christian counseling can help you prepare, but you might consider family counseling to address how these changes affect the family as a whole.

Attending premarital Christian counseling is one of the best things you can do to ensure the vitality of your marriage. If you have any questions about counseling, we have attentive staff here to put your mind at ease. Some common questions about premarital Christian counseling include:

Who goes to premarital Christian counseling?

Premarital Christian counseling is helpful for all couples who are considering marriage. Even if you aren’t aware of any current issues within your relationship, it is beneficial to attend premarital counseling in order to better handle difficult situations in the future, and to assure that you are taking the decision to marry as seriously as possible. Premarital Christian counseling can also help couples solve current problems, so they don’t pose a threat to the health of their marriage.

Do we have to be Christian to attend premarital Christian counseling?

We help premarital couples of all backgrounds and belief systems build healthy, nurturing relationships. We are here to provide professionally ground and effective premarital counseling whether you are Christian or not. Our desire is to honor your particular beliefs as you engage with your soon to be souse in premarital counseling to create a long lasting fulfilling relationship.

How do I find the right Christian counselor?

If you’re considering premarital Christian counseling, then seek help from an experienced marriage and family therapist. They understand the dynamics couples face, and can help you build a solid foundation for your marriage. We encourage you to browse our counselor profiles with your partner to find the right Christian counselor for you. If you have any questions about selecting the right counselor, feel free to contact us. We are happy to help.

What does premarital Christian counseling cost?

The cost of premarital Christian counseling depends on a variety of factors. Some insurance providers cover counseling in part, or entirely. The rates of our counselors also vary depending on experience and level of qualification. Some counselors offer sliding-scale payment options. To get an accurate idea of what premarital counseling will cost, contact your insurance provider, and reach out to your desired Christian counselor for information about their rates.

How long does premarital counseling take?

The duration of premarital Christian counseling depends on the need of the client, and the depth of issues they are hoping to work through. Premarital counseling can last anywhere from a couple of sessions, to a number of months.

Contact Us Today To Learn How
Premarital Christian Counseling Can Safeguard Your Marriage.

At Tacoma Christian Counseling, we are serious about helping couples grow together and build nurturing relationships. If you are getting married, then consider premarital counseling to help your marriage thrive in a world that is sadly tearing away at the sanctity and seriousness of marriage. To learn more, give us a call at (253) 777-1997, or browse our counselor profiles to schedule your initial risk-free appointment.