June is such a big wedding month, and so many couples are going to head down the aisle to (hopefully) wedded bliss. Divorce rates have actually been falling over the years in Michigan, according to data at the CDC. That may have a lot to do with delayed marriages, a better understanding of the role of a relationship, and simple economic hardships both people would face if divorce came into play. However, it might also have something to do with the smart move more and more couples are taking before they say “I do”: counseling before marriage.
Premarital counseling is a great choice across the board, whether you have reservations about issues in your relationship or is you’d simply like to explore things before making the ultimate commitment. Counseling before marriage means you have an objective, safe platform to discuss your fears, plans, and more. Moreover, with the help of a therapist, you can explore how marriage will intensify your relationship- things like financial stress, how to handle ‘big decisions’ as a couple, how to constructively argue, etc can be discusses before they become an issue.
Examples of how counseling before marriage an help:
If you’re a couple who hasn’t lived together before, you’re in for a shock to the system when you merge homes and lives. Often, conflict arises on which furniture to keep, how to handle bills, etc. Little habits that you didn’t know about or found endearing when they weren’t in you own home suddenly become huge deal-breakers. By getting counseling before marriage, your therapist will proactively work with you both to discuss how to talk about issues as they arise, and how to avoid looking at things as ‘deal-breakers’.
If you have fears associated with marriage (potentially due to former relationships or troubles in the past), getting premarital counseling is a smart move to ensure that you partner knows about any trauma and how it might impact your behavior. Counseling is a safe space to discuss your fears- you can even opt for individual counseling before marriage if you’d like to focus on yourself.
There are countless situations where counseling before marriage will make the union stronger. If you want the best possible start to your wedded bliss, premarital counseling is a great tool to ensure that you both start out on the same page, aligned toward the same goal: a happy union.
