DIPAC offers Pre-Marriage Counselling services for the Canberra, Queanbeyan and ACT region from our offices at Level 1 - 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT. So if you need to discuss your pre-marriage or just want to talk to someone, we can help. Call today on: 02 6198 3423 or use our contact form and we will call you back.

If you're engaged and looking to marry, you may benefit from some pre-marriage counselling. The purpose of pre-marriage counselling isn't necessary to settle any current disputes, rather, it is to settle any concerns to disputes that may arise after the marriage. This article will explain why you may need pre-marriage counselling and how pre-marriage counselling sessions work.

What is pre-marriage counselling?

Pre-marriage counselling facilitates a direct and open conversation between both members of a relationship, allowing both parties to voice their concerns and beliefs. In order to facilitate this communication, your pre-marriage counsellor will:

• Observe communication between you and your partner.
• Suggest methods by which these communication channels could be improved.
• Help reach an agreement between you and your partner about any issues that may affect your marriage in the future.

Consequently, couples see pre-marriage counselling as a way to grapple with issues and problems that marriage may cause, whether it be differing views on lifestyle post-marriage or issues with communication techniques.

Pre-marriage counselling allows the two parties to nip any potential issues in the bud before they may arise. It allows the two partners to learn to understand each other and to communicate in a way that will be productive and will not result in a breakdown of communication, or even a fractured relationship.

Do I need pre-marriage counselling?

Pre-marriage counselling is often deployed in order to settle issues that will occur post-marriage, such as:

• Difference in religion
• Issues in raising children after marriage
• Financial concerns

For instance, if there is a difference in religion between the two parties, a pre-marriage counselling session will aim to settle the consequences of this. One of the more common scenarios here is the religious upbringing of children. In addition to religious issues, pre-marriage counselling is also used for financial reasons. For example, if one party has issues with how money will be spent post-marriage, they may attend pre-marriage counselling in order to reach a mutually agreeable solution between themselves and their partner.

While pre-marriage counselling is often used to settle future issues, it is also used to handle current problems, such as issues in communication. This allows the two partners to learn how to address their behaviours and communication issues in order to produce a stronger, more understanding marriage.

How does pre-marriage counselling work?

Before your first pre-marriage counselling session, you will be asked to give some general background information about your relationship to your counsellor, as well as to describe the issues around the relationship that you would like to resolve.

In general, pre-marriage counselling facilities good communication between parties in order to resolve potential future disputes after marriage. The counsellor will work from an unbiased perspective in order to identify and resolve disputes before they arise. One of the most common methods undertaken by pre-marriage counsellors is to role-play communication techniques. This allows the two parties to practise and work on their communication so that, if disputes are to arise during the marriage, these disputes can be handled in such a way that it does not damage the structure of the relationship. Finally, another technique often employed by pre-marriage counsellors is to ask the two partners to write down their hopes and expectations from their marriage. This allows the two partners to further highlight any issues, whether potential or current.

To find out more about how our Canberra pre-marriage counselling service may help you, call today on: 02 6198 3423 or use our contact form and we will call you back.