Premarital counseling is a type of therapy that helps couples prepare for and build a happy, successful marriage. Premarital therapists at Thriveworks in Columbia, SC can help couples develop essential communication skills, identify potential conflict areas, and learn how to manage their specific relationship issues.
When you and your partner begin premarital counseling, your counselor will want to get to know you both as well as your relationship. In order to accomplish this, they will ask questions around the following:
- Common interests and activities
- Marital expectations
- Budget and Finance
- Children and parenting
- Intimacy
If there is a particular area that they feel needs to be explored further (for example, you note that you and your partner have very different spending habits and views on money), they’ll guide the conversation in the given direction.
Generally speaking, Thriveworks premarital counseling in Columbia typically lasts for 8-10 weeks. This, however, can vary depending on the counselor’s approach as well as the clients’ preferences and needs. For example, some couples might request additional sessions to work through problem areas that they’ve identified in their relationship pre-wedding.
Premarital Counseling – Relationships, Couples Counselors in Columbia SC
Congratulations! If you have discovered this page, it is most likely because you are planning a wedding, or hoping to do so soon. This is a very exciting time in life. Maybe the date is set, the dress has been bought, the responses received, and someone has cold feet. Alternatively, perhaps you and your partner are looking to explore whether this relationship should be headed for marriage. In premarital counseling, we can help both partners in the relationship decide if marriage is best.
Before agreeing to perform a marriage ceremony, some pastors or priests requires that the couple conduct premarital counseling. This is very common and is done to ensure that both partners are giving this decision the sincerity and contemplation that it deserves. In some states, those wishing to get married under the age of 18 must conduct premarital counseling by law. Whatever the reason you are pursuing premarital counseling, Thriveworks Coumbia SC has premarital counselors ready to help you and your partner explore your feelings and goals for the relationship.
What Is Discussed in Premarital Counseling?
Many couples are unprepared for the number of compromises and decisions that will have to be made in a marriage. There are many issues to discuss, whether a couple is in their 1st or 30th year of marriage. A Thriveworks Columbia SC premarital counselor will help you and your partner discuss many of these in advance, such as:
- 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
There is no need to worry that entering premarital counseling requires you to get married. In fact, sometimes couples undergo premarital therapy, and then find it best that they do not pursue marriage, or that a marital relationship might be a fit for them in the future, but not at the moment. The choice will be up to you and your partner, after you have explored your relationship in a deep and meaningful way with the help of a Thriveworks Columbia SC premarital counselor.
Scheduling Premarital Counseling at Thriveworks Columbia, SC
Through premarital counseling, couples will discover how to create vital skills to help their relationship survive the inevitable challenges it will face. Making an informed decision about the therapist or counselor that will help you on this journey of preparation is very important and should not be taken lightly. Thriveworks Columbia SC is a wise choice.
Our premarital counselors are educated and experienced experts in their field. Unlike many offices, we do not operate with a waiting list. We want to be available when you and your partner decide you are in need. For that reason, we have appointments available with the same week for most new clients. When you are planning a wedding, you have a lot of decisions to make. Choosing Thriveworks Columbia SC for your premarital counseling is an easy decision. Call us today to start creating the marriage you want for a lifetime.