I cannot think of a more important or worthwhile endeavor; it is a mistake to wait until problems arise and then seek counseling as a last resort. No matter how cohesive your relationship is, differences and misunderstandings will inevitably arise, so premarital counseling functions like the best insurance policy you could ever purchase.

Premarital counseling is an essential component to getting your marriage off to a positive start. After the initial euphoria and the fading of the honeymoon feeling sets in, the anxieties, behavior patterns and defenses that were in the background get activated and shift to the foreground. It is important that you and your partner learn to identify major emotional injuries with each other and learn how to navigate those complexities in order to ultimately help one another work through those core issues. Learn the value of proactively working on your relationship and how you and your partner can maintain a healthy relationship over time.

In our work together, you will discover how to:

• Fight well and quickly repair hurt feelings
• Keep each other emotionally safe and secure
• Manage each other’s highs and lows
• Rekindle your love at anytime
• Anticipate what the problems will be down the road and how to manage them when they arise
• Minimize each other’s stress and optimize each other’s health
• Clarify agreements to protect each other and the relationship
• Manage aspects of your early development that get played out in your relationship
• Be more vulnerable with each other

What can you expect?

My style is relational, direct, supportive, engaging and kind. A little humor gets thrown in as well! The first time I meet with you and your partner, the session will last just under 2.5 hours (140 mins) in order to properly assess what’s truly happening in the relationship. To give you an idea of what you can expect, your session will include: talking with your partner while I observe and comment, interviews to identify attachment styles, learning and practicing effective communication techniques and exercises to help you feel safe and secure with your partner.

Follow-up sessions are approximately 1.5 or 2 hours in length, depending on various factors. Sessions longer in length typically shorten the overall amount of therapy that is required. I very much look forward to working with you and your partner!