6 Amazing Premarital Counseling Benefits You Should Know About

Couples commonly participate in premarital counseling before tying the knot. Some pastors or officiants may even require premarital counseling before they agree to marry a couple. 

What is the purpose of premarital counseling? Is it worth participating in it? It turns out that there are several premarital counseling benefits to consider. We’ll cover them in detail below.

What is premarital counseling?

As the name suggests, premarital counseling is that which occurs prior to marriage. When a pastor, priest, or officiant agrees to marry a couple, they will often provide the couple with premarital counseling sessions prior to the wedding day.

Alternatively, some officiants may require a couple to seek out premarital counseling from a professional of the couple’s choice. Regardless of the specifics, premarital counseling occurs prior to marriage and seeks to set couples up for success.

Some people may refer to premarital counseling as marital preparation counseling since its ultimate goal is to prepare couples for a healthy marriage. 

Why premarital counseling strengthens marriages: Possible reasons

There are several reasons premarital counseling sessions strengthen marriages. First, these sessions are designed to establish expectations and a firm foundation for marriage. Some people may call these sessions marriage preparation counseling.

Premarital counseling can also help partners to establish a greater understanding of each other. This includes discussing similarities and differences between the two spouses.

Premarital counseling gives couples access to a neutral, trained professional. This can shed light on relationship problems and provide couples with guidance they might not otherwise receive from family or friends.

All of these factors mean that with premarital counseling, partners enter the marriage prepared to live together and confront challenges as they arise. 

As social trends change, marriages may experience increased threats. For instance, social media makes it easier to access sources of temptation, such as former partners, who may tempt people to stray from the marriage.

People also tend to delay marriage until later in life, and they may view marriage as a loss of their freedom. In light of these societal changes, premarital counseling is especially important to prepare couples for a successful marriage. 

6 premarital counseling benefits that strengthen your marriage

It’s common for partners to take part in premarital counseling or therapy. If you’re exploring this option for yourself, you probably want to know if it’s worth your time.

Premarital counseling is beneficial for many couples. So, how does it help? We’ll discuss 6 key benefits below: 

1. Realistic expectations for marriage

Sometimes, people enter into marriage with unrealistic expectations. For example, they may believe that the entire marriage is like a honeymoon, full of romance and bliss.

While marriage certainly can be filled with romance and love, it also means encountering real life and struggles together. Premarital counseling sessions prepare couples for the realities of marriage so they have realistic expectations.

When couples enter marriage with realistic expectations, they are less likely to be shocked or disappointed when encountering struggles

2. Enhanced communication skills  

Another one of the top premarital therapy benefits is improved communication. It’s essential to enter a marriage with strong communication skills.

A premarital counselor typically works with couples to discuss healthy communication skills. These skills involve expressing oneself clearly and assertively while remaining respectful.

Counseling sessions will also cover how to manage communication during times of conflict.

3. Understanding of each other’s strengths and differences 

Also among the common premarital counseling topics is a discussion of personality types. Your premarital therapist may give you personality assessments so you and your partner can develop greater awareness of each other’s strengths and differences. 

Personality assessments will give you an idea of your partner’s needs and quirks. Then, when you’re married, you’ll be better able to understand their behaviors.

4. An opportunity for learning

Premarital counselors and therapists are experts on marriage and can offer you expert wisdom on the subject. 

This can include discussing what marriage entails, the psychology of marriage, and strategies for strengthening a marriage. One of the top premarital counseling benefits is the knowledge you can gain. 

5. Planning for the future

You don’t have to have your entire lives together planned out when you get married. However, it’s helpful to have an idea of what the future might look like.

It means discussing financial plans, having children, and how you’d like to spend your free time. Premarital counseling sessions are ideal for making plans for the future so you enter your marriage as a true team. 

6. Resolving issues in the relationship

No relationship is perfect. Even couples who are largely compatible may have some disagreements or differences of opinion to work through before marriage.

One of the premarital counseling benefits is that it provides you with an opportunity to work through these issues before tying the knot. If you have a repeated conflict that seems to arise in your relationship, a premarital counselor can help you problem-solve and work through it.

For instance, if you have differences of opinion about finances, you can discuss these in premarital counseling sessions. Your counselor can at least help you and your future spouse compromise and develop a plan for managing your differences.

Watch this video where relationship expert and psychotherapist Terri Cole talks about effectively communicating during conflict without making it worse:

FAQs

If you’re interested in the importance of counseling before marriage, the answers to the following common questions can be helpful. 

• Why is premarital counseling important before marriage?

Premarital counseling is important because it sets you up for success. It allows you to learn about marriage, make plans for the future, and resolve any problems you may have in your relationship.

Premarital counseling sessions also offer an opportunity to establish realistic expectations for marriage. Hence, there aren’t any surprises after you tie the knot.

Since premarital counseling sessions set you up for success and help you establish a solid plan for the future, they can prevent the relationship from going sour.

• What are the advantages of premarital counseling?

There are several advantages of premarital counseling. These sessions provide premarital advice for couples, such as how to communicate in a healthy way, and how to manage problems in the marriage.

Premarital counseling sessions are also an opportunity to learn about each other, address unresolved issues in the relationship, and establish expectations for the marriage.

In theory, premarital counseling should reduce the risk of divorce. If partners enter the marriage with a plan for tackling challenges and an understanding that conflict is normal, they won’t run away at the first sign of distress.

• What are the top 3 things couples should discuss during premarital counseling and why?

Many topics are relevant to premarital counseling sessions. The three most important might be learning healthy communication skills, discussing plans and expectations for marriage, and learning about each other’s differences.

Effective communication in relationships is essential, a skill that will be necessary throughout the marriage. Learning healthy communication skills before marriage sets a couple up for success.

It’s impossible to know what each person needs without discussing it, and premarital counseling sessions are a safe place for such discussions. 

Finally, it’s helpful to learn about each other’s differences. This can include differences in personality, preferences, and lifestyles.

• What is the goal of premarital counseling?

Premarital counseling aims to set couples up for success prior to marriage. One of the top premarital counseling benefits is that it helps couples to establish realistic expectations for marriage.

Premarital counseling sessions also help couples learn about each other, develop strong communication skills, and gain valuable information about marriage. The ultimate goal is to establish a strong foundation so couples are prepared to cope with the challenges of marriage while also enjoying its beauty.

Concluding thoughts

There are numerous premarital counseling benefits. So, if you’re asking about premarital counseling effectiveness, consider the numerous benefits discussed here.

Working with a premarital counselor doesn’t mean your relationship has serious problems. It simply means you’re taking proactive steps to prepare for a successful marriage.

Consider looking for a premarital counselor today if you’re planning a wedding. Premarital counseling sessions can be an integral part of your wedding planning process!

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Jennifer Jacobsen Schulz Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Jenni Jacobsen is a licensed social worker with a master's degree in social work from The Ohio State University, and she is in the process of completing her dissertation for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology. She has worked in the social work field for 8 years and is currently a professor at Mount... Read more Vernon Nazarene University. She writes website content about mental health, addiction, and fitness.   Licensed as both a social worker through Ohio Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage/Family Therapists and school social worker through Ohio Department of Education as well as a personal trainer through American Council on Exercise. Read less

(Jennifer Jacobsen is also listed in Best Marriage Therapists in Ashland)