Build a healthy marriage from the start.
As you celebrate your engagement, you’re probably more in love than ever. But if you’re like most couples, you may also feel some pre-wedding jitters. The good news: you can make a marriage stronger as the decades pass. The smarter you start that marriage, the better chance it has of being everything you hoped for. Research shows that couples who received pre-marital counseling are statistically less likely to get divorced. The cliché “an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure” holds up when it comes to couples’ counseling.
I offer a relationship education program, rooted in Imago Relationship Therapy. This short-term (8-12 sessions), focused course of couples counseling offers an overview of the key skills and information that will start your relationship off on the right foot.
Each relationship is unique, so our focus depends on your needs. Here are the key areas I cover with every couple:
Identify your communication styles.
Does one person have a tendency to withdraw under stress, while the other insists on hashing things out ASAP? Does one require space while the other loves to talk about every aspect of their day? These differences exist in every couple I’ve worked with (and in my own marriage—I’ve been there!) We’ll strengthen your ability to understand and empathize with your different communication styles in a way that helps you meet in the middle and find harmony.
Improve your conflict-resolution skills.
Starting in the first session, you’ll learn a simple 3-step process for tackling any issue together, called The Imago Dialogue. I can also guide you in covering important topics, such as: finances; family planning; geographic location; in-laws; religion; household division of labor and child-rearing; sex; vacations…and the list goes on!
Create a relationship vision for your future.
This is a collaborative writing exercise that establishes the core relationship values on which you agree. When complete, you will have a one-page document that describes your vision for a wonderful, nourishing relationship. This process can also guide the writing of your wedding vows.
I value and celebrate diversity, and I work with clients from all racial and cultural backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, and all walks of life. As a person married to a naturalized U.S. citizen, raising our daughter in a bilingual home, I am particularly well-versed in the dance of bridging two cultures and languages in a committed partnership. For engaged couples in an interfaith, intercultural, or interracial union, I highly recommend the book, “Joining Hands and Hearts: Interfaith, Intercultural Wedding Celebrations” by Susanna Macomb.