Preparing for a Healthy Marriage

Good, skill-based pre-marriage counseling and classes can reduce the risk of divorce by up to thirty percent and lead to a significantly happier marriage, according to marriage research. Pre-marriage preparation is based on the reality that it’s important to strengthen your relationship and prepare constructively for future challenges and conflicts that everyone will inevitably face at some point in their marriage. The research shows there is a window of opportunity, about one year before the wedding and up to six months after when couples get the optimum benefit from marriage preparation. The Preparing for a Healthy Marriage workshop is an approach to educating a targeted audience, engaged couples and newlyweds up to two years of marriage. The focus is specifically designed to address the skills, habits, and attitudes that research shows lead to happy, enduring marriages.

Preparing for a Healthy Marriage

  • Six consecutive weeks of one and a half-hour session with professional therapist and spouse directed education.
  • Content is based on a theological and psychological approach supported by research.
  • Small group setting offers a higher quality, more engaging, and individualized than large classes.
  • The educational curriculum is comprehensive, systematic and skill-based. It includes activities to give real skills, realistic expectations, and real knowledge of self and partner. The class addresses the inevitable challenges a committed relationship will face such as trust and intimacy. Other topics include physical, sexual, emotional, financial, and spiritual beliefs.
  • Flexible enough to allow your relationship and learning style to practice specific communication and short and long term goal setting skills and strategies. The workshop will include homework assignments to best fit your relationship.
  • Counseling and class will help you and your partner understand your family of origin, goals, and strategies for managing and continuing to work on your most important unresolved issues and conflict resolution.
  • Diagnostic Assessment and Marriage Inventory with a Licensed Professional Counselor to identify personalities, relationship compatibility, strengths as well as areas where growth can improve.

Details about registering for the Premarital Workshop “Preparing for a Healthy Marriage”

The couple will meet for two appointments with the therapist, separate from the class group time. The first appointment is a screening for the class and a Diagnostic Assessment, a clinical evaluation which can possibly be covered under your or your fiancé’s insurance. The clinical fees are $170.00 for the Initial Diagnostic Evaluation, appointment number one, and $140.00 for all appointments following. These appointments are separate from the cost of the class. Insurance is accepted. Fees policy accepts cash, check, or credit card for sessions.

The couple is encouraged to take a Prepare/Enrich screening assessment. The scoring of the test will help the couple understand strengths and areas for improvement based on the couple’s answers to the questions. The clinical results will be given in the second of the two appointments. The cost of the assessment tool is $30.00. Fee policy accepts cash, check, or credit card which is sent the scoring center.

The cost for the “Preparing for a Healthy Marriage” workshop is $350.00. Insurance does not cover the class. Fee policy accepts cash, check, or credit card for the class.

Call now while you have so much fresh positive energy in your relationship.