When married couples face challenges in their marriage, many of them seek out marriage counsellors to help them navigate through those difficult circumstances and situations. However, marriage counselling isn’t only reserved for married couples. Many couples in Australia are using the proactive measure of pre-marriage counselling to address relationship issues, pain points, and potential red flags before they walk down the aisle and get married.
Couples counselling is an ideal way to prepare you and your partner for your future married life. With the excitement of wedding planning and the blush of engagement, it can be easy to forget the realities of sharing your life with another person. Pre-marriage counselling can help address existing relationship issues while building strategies and ways of coping with life milestones that many couples face, such as child-rearing, job loss, or the death of a close family member.
Get Started With Pre-marriage Counselling
Many couples who engage in marriage counselling see benefits from it. Like most treatments, the greatest results are seen early on. Studies suggest that established couples with long-standing and deep-rooted issues may see less results from counselling than newer couples who are seeking out guidance in the early stages of their relationship. Like any ingrained habits or behaviours, the longer you have them, the more difficult they are to change. So starting prior to marriage could be a great option for a sucessful marriage.
But Does Marriage Counselling Work?
Successful counselling only occurs when all parties involved put in the time and work required to see lasting changes. If one or either party isn’t fully committed to the methods of the counselling sessions, it may be a waste of time for both of you. However, if you approach your pre-marriage counselling with an open mind and a willingness to support each other through the process, the outcomes and future benefit to your marriage can be substantial.
And What Will I Take Away From This?
Pre-marriage counselling is a sort of insurance policy against future separation or divorce. The skills, techniques, and coping mechanism you build together as a couple will help you through the trials of married life and help you to move through those ups and downs as a united front. Depending on the type of wedding ceremony you plan to have, your faith like catholics may also require you to attend a certain number of pre-marriage wedding counselling sessions prior to your wedding.
So Do I Need Marriage Counselling?
Determining whether you need marriage counselling is a decision that should be made collectively with you and your partner. Counselling can cause undue strain if one of the parties feels like they are being forced into something they don’t want to do. When thinking about whether marriage counselling is right for you, consider how you and your partner are currently communicating and working through your issues. If you have reached an impasse or there are things you cannot say to one another, it may be time to reach out to a counsellor.
When you reflect on the commitment of marriage, it’s important to remember that the core aspect of a successful marriage are trust, love, honour, communication, caring, and compassion. If aspects of that core foundation are lacking, it may be time for you and your partner to consider how professional marriage counselling can help you.
And How much is pre-marriage counselling?
The rates for pre-marriage counselling in Australia range depending on the skills and experience of the individual counsellor, as well as the number of sessions you will attend. Most marriage counselling services are offered in packages which include a several different sessions over a number of weeks. The packages cover common topics such as managing finances, personal ethics, raising children, and the responsibility of household chores. Average prices range from $120 to $250 per session.
The Cost of Counselling Can Out Weight Early Divorce As
Even the strongest relationships can benefit from the positive impacts of counselling before getting married and continued counselling during the first few years of marriage. As you consider whether you need marriage counselling, keep in mind that the most successful relationships have a solid foundation of openness, trust, and communication—skills that can be developed with the guidance of a professional counsellor.
