6 REASONS TO START YOUR MARRIAGE EDUCATION BEFORE THE "I DOs":
WISDOMWhen you sit down for your pre-marital sessions, a counselor can walk with you through typical assumptions about marriage as well as common pitfalls that married couples face. The goal is to provide wisdom so that you can navigate around or through delicate and hard situations. When you choose to do life with someone, hard times will come, but you can have an additional person in your corner to guide you through. Your pre-marital counselor can be a valuable resource to you as a couple later in your marriage.
COMMUNICATIONTo have a lasting marriage, you will have to learn to communicate effectively. It is important to know and understand your communication and personality style as well as your future spouse's. Head knowledge alone will not be enough though. Your counselor will have you practice scenarios of communicating that may be tough to work through on your own. This is all part of learning to communicate and become teammates.
FINANCESMoney is listed as the number one reason couples seek divorce. Working through personal finance concepts together will bring you both to the same place. Money does not have to be an obstacle or a stress in your marriage. Your counselor can teach you how to keep it controlled and steward it well.
SEXBeing a married couple, sex is the exciting and sometimes scary part for a couple. This is where intimacy on all levels collides. For some people, traumas like abuse, rape, or past shame about sex can cloud this area and cause anxiety. While these sessions may be joyful and fun to have, they may also require a place for healing. Exploring sexuality together is important to a marriage.
LIFE GOALSBefore you tie the knot, we will explore each of your life goals and discuss any goals that may be contradictory to each other: kids or no kids? military or civilian life? stay at home mom or working mom? living near family or living abroad? becoming self-employed or working up the company ladder? going to church or not?
DIVORCE RATESWhen you attend pre-marital counseling sessions, you are choosing to invest in your marriage. When you invest in your marriage, you are less likely to let it fall apart. The divorce rate is cut in half when you have pre-marital counseling because you are given the tools to fight for a long lasting and fulfilling marriage. Furthermore, you develop a relationship with a counselor that wants to see you succeed and will walk you through tough times later if needed.