Planning a wedding is a very exciting time. Buying the dress, choosing the wedding party, making guests lists and seating arrangements, deciding on honeymoon plans and gift registries; the list goes on and on!
To add to all of the decisions that need to be made, the couple also begins to meet more members of their partner’s family, as well as distant friends. Sometimes family members have very strong opinions on how the wedding should go, who should be included and who should pay for certain services.
Even the happiest and most stable of couples can get overwhelmed in these circumstances!”
Premarital counseling can give you a neutral third party location to discuss any issues that may arise during the wedding planning. Also, it is your chance to discuss what the marriage will look like after the wedding: We cannot stress enough how important this is.
Where will you go for holidays? Who will take out the trash? Will you have children? How many? Surprisingly, many couples in the midst of planning a wedding have not fully discussed many of these important issues of marriage and joining two lives together. Naturally, you will not agree on all of the decisions that need to be made. By discussing them ahead of time, however, you can come to agreements, make compromises and avoid potential conflict in the future.
When choosing an officiant for your wedding, some will require that you undergo premarital counseling before they perform your wedding. Sometimes, you will conduct the premarital counseling directly with the officiant, and in other cases you will have your choice of where to have the counseling done.
If you have the choice, considering Thriveworks is a wonderful option. We are experienced and skilled in walking couples through this exciting and important time of preparation for wedded bliss.
When Should We Begin Premarital Counseling?
There is no right or wrong time to begin a relationship with Thriveworks Lynchburg Premarital Counseling. Couples can benefit from these sessions whether they’ve been together for five months or 50 years.
When you are planning a wedding, new and surprising issues arise that neither member of the relationship may be prepared for. Also, some couples worry that if they partake in premarital counseling, it absolutely means that they must get married. This is certainly not the case. We can help couples figure out if marriage is the right step for them. Sometimes, at the end of our time with a couple, everyone has agreed that marriage is not in the best interest of anyone at that time. If that is the case, we can help both members of the relationship to move forward, or to continue to work on their relationship, with the goal of a possible wedding in the distant future. We have no hidden agenda. We want whatever outcome is best for you.
There are so many issues to discuss when building a marriage (and, possibly, a new family together). Taking the time to learn more about marriage and the upcoming issues proves the level of care you have for your relationship.
The professionals at Thriveworks Lynchburg Premarital Counseling will help you and your partner discuss many of these in advance, including:
- Common interests and leisure activities
- Role expectations
- Communication styles
- Religion and worship attendance
- Household duties and expectations
- Budget and finance
- Children and parenting styles
- Public or private Education
- Sexuality and Intimacy
- Needs for space and privacy
- Where the family unit will reside
- Finances and debt
- Occupations and careers
- Holiday expectations and travel
- Relationships with extended family and in-laws
The list itself may seem overwhelming! But these are issues in marriage that are not possibility, but certainties. There is no way around dealing with them in your life together at some point, and it’s better to discuss and prepare for them before you’re in the thick of it — when emotions and stress can be high.
Imagine this scenario: It is one week before Christmas and each spouse is planning to spend the holidays with their immediate family, as usual. The problem is that one spouse’s parents live in Florida while the other spouse’s family is in Maine. They have (individually) promised their parents they will be there. Can you imagine how stressful this situation is for all involved?
Why wait until the last minute to discuss these important issues?”
Some of these items may not seem critical, but each one represents a potential source of conflict. Discussing them early with a neutral third party is one of the least stressful ways to approach these decisions. Let Thriveworks Lynchburg Premarital Counseling be your trusted third party.
Premarital Counseling: Essential for the Couple, Important for the Individual
We all know the horrible statistics on marriages lasting in this country. If those trends remain true and almost half of all marriages are destined to dissolve, why not give your relationship every fighting chance before it even starts?
It is not easy to join together two sets of preferences, habits, sleeping patterns, eating patterns, work schedules and families. Blending together children from previous relationships, and even pets, can make the transition even more stressful. Premarital counseling simply helps you navigate these waters and be prepared for whatever life throws your way.
Even when the person performing your wedding does not require premarital counseling, the benefits to both the relationship and the individuals are innumerable.
Many studies have shown that premarital counseling is helpful for the relationship and can reduce fears and separation anxiety. However, we also believe that counseling in general is helpful for both members of the relationship. Being in an open and honest environment where communication is encouraged can help foster growth and emotional health for all involved.
As with most types of therapy and counseling, some of the benefits include:
- Confidence and assertiveness
- Patience
- Avoiding dependency and co-dependency
- Having realistic expectations of others
- Contentment
- Developing coping skills
- Improving communication skills
Again, there is no need to worry that participating in something known as “premarital” seals the deal for following through with a wedding. We have helped many couples that are unsure of what their next step is in their relationship. Oftentimes, one member of the relationships is absolutely sure that they want to get married, and the other has concerns about this big step. These concerns may lie in issues from childhood or past relationships, and we can help unpack that and figure out what is the cause of the fears regarding marriage.
We are trained professionals that will not only help you have open communication, but will also guide you and offer our best advice and help.
Why Choose Thriveworks for Premarital Counseling?
Choosing Thriveworks Lynchburg for your premarital counseling should be an easy decision. We are experts in our field. We are educated and experienced leaders in the community. Our counselors have been featured in many reputable news outlets and publications, such as The Boston Globe, Counseling Today, Psychiatric Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Journal of Mental Health Counseling, and many others.
We are ready to put our expertise to work for you.
We respect that it may not be easy to make the decision to seek premarital counseling. Even if it required by the person performing your wedding, we know that you have choices. When you conducted the search that brought you to our page, you were most likely inundated with choices. We respect that when you call us, you have chosen us, right at this moment. For that reason, we do not operate on a waiting list. We want to be ready when you are, and usually have appointments available within 24 hours for new clients.
We are ready when you are.
To reserve your initial session, click the button below. We’re looking forward to getting to know you!
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