Five Benefits of Premarital Counseling to Build a Stronger Relationship

Getting married is one of the most significant decisions one can make in life. It is an exciting and joyous occasion, but it also comes with its share of challenges. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of premarital counseling. However, it can be a valuable tool for couples who want to build a strong, healthy, and lasting relationship.

In this blog post, we will discuss five benefits of premarital counseling and how it can help couples navigate the ups and downs of married life with confidence and resilience. Whether you’re newly engaged or have been together for years, premarital counseling can help you lay the foundation for a fulfilling and satisfying life together.

“This course made me realize there’s a lot more to marriage than just saying ‘I do.'” Clay with Sierra

WHAT BENEFITS DOES PREMARITAL COUNSELING OFFER TO BUILD A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP?

Pre-marital preparation courses offer a variety of benefits for couples preparing to tie the knot. They help couples improve communication skills, learn conflict resolution strategies, and gain a better understanding of each other’s values and expectations.

Additionally, pre-marital preparation courses help couples identify potential areas of conflict and develop strategies for addressing them before they become major issues in the relationship.  And amazingly, research by John Gottman shows that there is about a 30% decrease in divorce in couples who take a marriage preparation course.

Overall, investing in a pre-marital preparation course helps couples build a strong foundation for a happy and successful marriage.

1.  PREMARITAL COUNSELING INCREASES EMOTIONAL INTIMACY

We regularly receive feedback from couples who were confident that they had a deep, emotional knowledge of their partner, and yet after having taken one of our courses – and much to their surprise – they learned new things about their partner and they found themselves growing even closer together than before.

“I expected to tackle some difficult issues and learn more about how to resolve conflicts, but what I didn’t expect was to fall even more in love by going through this process over the past couple of months.” ~Devon and Bill

“We were able to enter the deepest corners of ourselves and get to know more about our childhood, families, and relationships.” ~Francy about Jan

 

2.  PREMARITAL COUNSELING IMPROVES COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Effective communication is essential for a happy and healthy marriage. In fact, a willingness to learn to communicate effectively is a concrete expression of love and has the added benefit of letting your partner know how you feel, what you want and need, and how you’d like things to be.

Although good communication skills may not come naturally to us, they can be learned and practiced over time. Here’s what Paige and Rob  appreciated about the Online Marriage Preparation guided conversation which introduces best practices for communication.

“What I appreciated most about this course was (learning) the different techniques for communicating…sometimes we find ourselves at a point where we don’t know how to communicate, or not communicating well.  We had some good discussions during this course, of topics we have struggled a little bit to communicate about in the past. We were able to hear each other out and have productive conversations.”

3. PREMARITAL COUNSELING INTRODUCES HEALTHY CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS

Many of us try to avoid conflict and mistakenly see it as a sign that our relationship is in trouble. In fact, the opposite is true. Conflict is a normal part of any relationship and it can be a source of growth and intimacy in your marriage if you learn how to manage it in healthy ways.

Healthy conflict resolution skills for your marriage include attentive listening, using “I” statements instead of “you” statements and practicing empathy and understanding.

“I enjoyed being able to learn more about my fiancé and I am grateful we now have the tools to have effective conversations and resolve issues together.”~ Carmen with Stephen

“It makes me feel even more secure knowing that we have a method to help us resolve any potential conflicts in the future.” ~ Joyce with Joshua

 

4. PREMARITAL COUNSELING PREPARES YOU TO MANAGE FINANCES TOGETHER

Discussing finances can be difficult for many couples because money represents who we are (our personalities) and what we value. In a new marriage, all of a sudden there are two of us bringing in individual incomes with perspectives that we have learned about money from our parents,  caregivers and even cultures. It can be tricky as the “team” approach to spending and saving emerges within the marriage.

However, what was learned in our past can also be unlearned and what really matters is our willingness to learn a new way of doing things, learning to manage money (and debt) – as a team alongside our spouse.

“We were able to discuss a good budget to help us save money while still being able to pay off debts.” ~ Ashley with Michael

5. PREMARITAL COUNSELING RESULTS IN CONFIDENCE IN YOUR DECISION TO GET MARRIED

Some couples shared that taking the course served as confirmation that they were entering into this serious commitment with the right person.

“Being able to have these conversations on a deeper level before our wedding day makes me even more sure of my future husband.” ~ Jessica with Kenneth

While rare, it is possible that a couple finds they don’t know each other as well as they thought. Learning this before the wedding  can allow a couple more time for in depth discussion on their values and expectations for the future.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE ONLINE MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSES?

Our engaged couples come from a wide variety of backgrounds and that is why we offer 3 unique pre-marital courses:

The Basic Marriage Preparation Course (Non-religious)

The Christian Marriage Preparation Course (Non-denominational)

The Catholic Marriage Preparation Course(Pre-Cana)

Once you choose your course, you will receive step-by-step instructions including links to teaching videos and downloadable questions. Couples find it easy and even fun to engage in these ten guided conversations at their own pace and in the privacy of their own home.

“We had meaningful conversations, and a safe space to share things we might have been hesitant to share before. I really liked that it was a no-pressure environment and in our own home.” Taryn with Mac

“These questions required us to examine our relationship in a new light and consider ideas we had never thought of.” ~ Amanda and Chris

As an added bonus, some states offer a discount program and even waive the 3-day waiting period to get your license. Take the course today and get married tomorrow. Please check with the state where your wedding will take place. Check out these pages for details on the Twogether In Texas and Minnesota Premarital Education programs. Florida counties will waive the 3-day waiting period with proof of a 4-hour premarital education course, and we will provide that certificate for you. (Check the Florida county website where you plan to get married.)

Once complete – or after you have completed the number of hours required by your state – we will email you an electronic copy of the certificate of completion.

If you require a Catholic Certificate of Completion, we will email you the electronic certificate, as well as, contact the church where you will be married. And if you need pre-approval for this course, we are happy to contact your church on your behalf with more information about the course.

PREMARITAL COUNSELING HELPS TO BUILD A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP!

Ultimately, premarital counseling is a proactive step that couples can take to strengthen their relationship before getting married. Online Marriage Preparation has helped over a thousand couples take this step towards investing in their marriage. We’d love to be a part of your journey too!

“Overall, we feel that the course helped us to build a stronger foundation for our relationship and provided us with valuable tools for navigating the ups and downs of married life.” Ethan with Kathy

Choose the perfect premarital course for you and your partner and prepare to build a stronger relationship that will hold its value far beyond your wedding day.