What is premarital counselling therapy?
Premarital counselling therapy is suitable for anyone that is in a relationship that is not yet married but thinking of getting engaged or has become engaged. Premarital counselling gives you the chance to talk over issues that have come up or may come up in a relationship, the big important questions, and the smaller less so ones too. It is especially good where you have differing views.
What sort of things can you discuss?
There usually are important questions you need to discuss especially so when you are thinking of getting married. You may have already discussed some of these but clarifying where you stand is a great idea. These questions can relate to having children, religion, finances and careers for example.
Some big questions
It's important to know where you and your partner stand on some of the big questions in life.
- If you don't have children, do you want children? If you can't have children would you adopt or foster?
- Do you share the same religion? If not could it be a problem and what will you do about it?
- Who is financially responsible for certain bills? Will you have a shared bank account? Is the other person in any debt? If they are in debt, what are they doing about it?
- Do you have any issues with the other persons family or friends? If so, can you look at ways to resolve this?
- Are you happy in your jobs, would you move if you had to for work?
- Where do you stand on politics and if you support different parties can you agree to disagree?
These questions are useful as a starting point. Being open and honest at this important point in your relationship will lay the ground for a healthy relationship longterm. Premarital counselling can help resolve issues before they become a problem.
What does it cost?
Costs are per session and vary according to the practitioner. Often weekly sessions are agreed and 8 weeks is a typical plan, however, this varies according to need. Typical costs in the UK can be £40-£60 a session.
However, if you do not discuss these issues prior to marriage that the premarital counselling cost can be more than the monetary value and can impact on the relationship. Couples who do not talk, and work out their problems are less likely to stay together. In counselling therapy, you have the opportunity to talk and really listen to your partner, with the counsellor providing support and using appropriate questioning to help you come to resolutions together, and that can only be a good thing.
Online counselling can be a cost-effective way of having premarital counselling but don't forget to check the qualifications of the counsellor. In the UK, look for someone that has had the relevant training and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or the National Counselling Society (NCS).
Would you use premarital counselling? What do you think of talking therapies?
*Collaborative post
I can’t say I’ve heard of this but I can see why some couples would benefit and discuss where they want the relationship to go and making but life changing decisions. Marriage is a big thing and hopefully it can lead to a long and happy one
ReplyDeleteMarriage is a big commitment so some couples want to sort out any potential issues before they arrive
DeleteI have heard of this before and I think it's definitely worth considering when it comes to thinks like money/finances. Things like that can get really stressful xx
ReplyDeleteAgree
DeleteI know about marriage counselling, I've actually written about it. Premarital counselling is another option for those who would want to do it before the actual marriage and the things that come with it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of premarital counselling before. It's a great idea as sometimes couples don't think to talk about big issues before they happen, it will make sure everyone is on the same page before marriage.
ReplyDeleteIt can be really useful for some people.
DeleteThis is probably something Nathan and I should have done. We got engaged almost 11 years ago and still haven't managed to tie the knot. And, if I'm being honest, we don't even get on as well as we used to. We definitely need to work on our relationship.
ReplyDeleteLouise x
Relationships are hard work aren't they!
DeleteI am a qualified counsellor and think this is such a good idea. It could save so much heartache later on. Kaz
ReplyDelete