Premarital Counseling and Premarital Workshops

Prepare for your future together.

Why Choose Premarital Counseling?

All couples start with a strong commitment to making their relationship successful. Yet, depending on who you ask, 41% – 50% of them end up in a divorce! Premarital counseling is one of the best ways to support the future of your marriage. Did you know that one in every four adults in the US has been divorced at least once? Without realizing it, most couples have unrealistic expectations about their marriage, fueled by myths and popular media.

Why Choose Premarital Counseling?

Moreover, most people don’t have good relationship role models and despite their best intentions, end up repeating patterns that they witnessed in those relationships. Lastly, many people don’t even know that they have options for non-secular premarital counseling.

Here are three facts that most couples don’t know when they get married:

A relationship goes through predictable stages:

In the first stage of a relationship, it’s usually easy and exciting. However, in the second stage, it is inevitable for couples to go through a period of conflict and disagreement. The more prepared you are as a couple the easier it is to navigate this phase.
A successful relationship requires certain skills and knowledge:

You probably know that in order to be successful in your career you need to gain knowledge and skills. The same applies to your relationship. A successful relationship is something that you do, not something that you have and most couples need to learn the tools to make it happen.
You have to be aligned around important life values:

Love is not enough! Each one of us has certain values and expectations from our relationship that are absolutely important to us. For a successful future, couples need to have the same core values and vision of the future.

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We have two premarital counseling options:

Join a Premarital Workshop

Secure your relationship with the secrets to more passion, intimacy, and playfulness!

In Love Made Simple – Premarital Couples Retreat, you’ll receive a map for creating a successful relationship—especially how to bring passion, intimacy, and ease to your love life. This is a comprehensive, hands-on workshop in which you’ll do practical exercises with your partner that are both fun and educational.

Our approach is unique in that it brings the latest tools and methods in an experiential, enlivening, and engaging way. We incorporate the latest findings from attachment theory and research—also known as the science of love.

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1-on-1 Premarital Counseling

If you and your partner prefer the attention and richness of private sessions, we offer a customized program that will prepare you for your new life together! The program is usually 6 meetings long, but it can also be adjusted to meet your needs. Working with a couples therapist can bring your relationship to a new level of intimacy and depth. We also offer sliding-scale psychotherapy to those with financial need. You can think of this as marriage counseling before marriage! Common things covered:

Understanding the relationship’s patterns and potential pitfalls
How to negotiate conflict and accept differences
How to create more intimacy and closeness
Aligning around a common vision and values

Still not sure? Read some of our Premarital testimonials below.

“My wife and I came here for pre-marital counseling and we were very happy with our experience. We were able to book an appointment within a few days of calling. Our counselor was experienced, attentive, and gave us good tips for dealing with stress and preparing for the future. Would highly recommend!”

– T, Premarital 1X1 Counseling

“Jason & I are engaged and wanted to do some pre-marital couples work to make sure we are on happy and fulfilled footing prior to the big day. Since neither of us are religious, I wanted to find something nice and science based that was secular. I found the Couples Center on yelp and thought it sounded promising – and signed us up to do a pre-marital workshop over a weekend in Tiburon! We live in San Francisco, so we just got a zip car and headed over each day.

This workshop was SO GOOD. I cannot even describe it. It is set up as a series of small lectures, followed by exercises with your partner. As a person who works in tech, I have been to my fair share of workshops, and this is the only one I’ve ever been to where the time just flies by and I felt like I was constantly learning and growing.”

– T, 2017 Love Made Simple Premarital Workshop Participant

“Writing this review was important to me, which is why I tried writing it a few times in my head before I just let myself start typing. My partner and I met and started working with Gal nine months ago. I chose to work with Gal as I believed he was similar in background and culture to my partner. I remember walking into the conference room of my office during our initial phone call and trying to communicate that I felt like we needed urgent help. Gal did a great job of explaining to me that change does not happen immediately but that he would be happy to help us through pre-marital counseling.

I am writing this review for a number of reasons, most important of which is if we had not met Gal and The Couple’s Center, there is a large likelihood that we would not be engaged today. It was a challenging process where I was forced to let in the possibility that therapy would not end in a happy outcome. I always feel that Gal is fair and objective while still understanding how tied up we are in our emotions.”

– S, Premarital 1X1 Counseling

“My fiance and I had pre-marital counseling on our wedding list as a “nice-to-have”. Having completed their ‘Love made simple’ weekend workshop, I think it’s an absolute *must* for all couples as they grow in their relationship.

Attending the workshop helped me understand my partner’s needs, but also helped me uncover my own needs (I thought I knew myself really well). Thier exercises help each partner re-examine themselves, their expectations and the sources of those expectations. They also help navigate what to do with each new discovery.

The most important factor is that each participant comes in with an open, trusting and loving heart. I recommend working with Gal and Liron at each major milestone in a relationship – Marriage/Long term commitment, raising children, etc.”

– S, 2018 LMS Premarital Participant

Read what other couples have to say about the premarital retreat on Yelp!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is most premarital counseling?

Your premarital counseling sessions will be as unique as your relationship! This means there is no one number of sessions that suits every couple. You may find that attending one or two sessions helps you achieve your goals, or that attending a higher number of sessions is beneficial for you and your partner as you transition into a new phase.

Why do people do premarital counseling?

Marriage is a big step. It’s human to feel excited, nervous, hopeful, and daunted – sometimes all at once. Attending premarital counseling allows you and your partner to process these emotions in a safe space. It also allows you to answer important questions that may arise at this time. These can include (although certainly are not limited to), “What values do we want to bring into our marriage?” “What are our shared goals for the future?” and “Are there relational skills we would like to see ourselves become stronger in?

What questions do they ask in premarital counseling?

The questions that arise in premarital counseling are based on the individual needs of you and your partner. Common areas to address are communication, intimacy, needs and values, and future planning. Note that premarital counseling through The Couples Center is a client-focused, non-secular option. This means your therapist will work from your wants rather than from any set framework or rhetoric regarding marriage.

Still Unsure? Contact Us Today