What Is Pre-Marital Counselling, and Is It Necessary?
The decision to get married is a big one. While it might feel like the easiest decision of your life when you are in love, it is important to remember that marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment. Are you ready for it and will you be as enamoured with your partner on the more challenging days of your relationship? We’re all human, and these types of days do happen. As much as we would all like to say that our love is bigger than any challenge, the fact is that a happy, healthy relationship requires work. Pre-marital counselling can help you prepare for this and ensure that your relationship is built on a strong foundation that can weather any storm.
The objective of pre-marital counselling is two-fold:
- To prepare couple for married life by sharing relationship skills
Typically, married people spend most of their time in each other’s company, Therefore, the health of the relationship plays a key role in the overall happiness of the people involved in the marriage. Pre-marital counselling can help couples to develop important relationship skills that are vital to the success of a relationship. These include, but are not limited to:
- Effective communication skills
- Conflict resolution strategies
- Emotional regulation
- Seeking and offering help when needed
- Building and nurturing trust
- To provide the opportunity to discuss important issues that will have to be faced during marriage
The second objective of pre-marital counselling is to identify potential areas of conflict and allow space for finding resolutions early on.
It’s easy to overlook important differences in our approach to life and relationships when we are in love. But at some point, these issues will have to be addressed. As we grow and change, some of these issues may even grow in importance. Pre-marital counselling allows couples to talk about a variety of issues to determine their compatibility, allow themselves to find resolutions to differences, and set themselves up for success.
Some of the topics that can be discussed, include:
- The desire to have children
- Parenting styles
- Financial issues, both joint and individual
- Roles within the relationship
- Decision-making styles
- Family dynamics
- Religious differences or preferences
- Intimacy issues
- Career goals
Ultimately, the decision to engage in pre-marital counselling is up to you and your partner. However, research has shown that couples who do partake in pre-marital counselling are less likely to seek a divorce later on. If you are serious about your relationship and want to ensure you build a healthy future with your partner, contact Dr Tienie Maritz to find out more about booking the necessary sessions with him.
Sources:
https://www.tieniemaritz.co.za/
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/modes/premarital-counseling
