Pre-Marital Counseling
Premarital counseling is really an investment that sets you up for your BEST future together.
Do you want to take your relationship from great to incredible? Do you want to give your marriage the strongest foundation possible? Using the Gottman Method, we have helped many couples navigate the many stages of relationship ahead and learn what it takes to grow a lifelong, fulfilling relationship. Focused on particular topics with room for exploring any topics that are specific to YOUR relationship and prepare for a lifelong commitment. It includes a thorough Gottman Assessment (yours to keep!) and a digital toolbox to pull up when needed down the road!
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Pre-Marital Counseling
Preparing for marriage is one of the most exciting times in your life. While the journey to “I do” is filled with joy, it’s also an opportunity to build and strong foundation for your future together.
In my practice, I’ve noticed that sometimes deciding to marry, preparing for marriage, and living as a married couple can be more complicated . Barriers to unbridled joy during this time can be anxiety post engagement or about the upcoming transition. All the decisions that come with wedding planning and sharing that load, and family dynamics in the wake of your announcement.
It is entirely normal to have doubts as the wedding date moves closer, or to have arguments with your future spouse as stress mounts. Every couple experiences highs and lows, making it essential to learn how to navigate challenges together as they come up.
At the Lake Erie Center for Relationship Counseling, we specialize in pre-marital counseling grounded in the Gottman Method, a research-backed approach that equips couples with tools to navigate their marriage with confidence, trust, and lasting love.
Why Choose Pre-Marital Counseling?
Marriage is more than a celebration - it’s a lifelong partnership that thrives on understanding, communication, and mutual respect. Pre-marital couples helps couples to:
Deepen emotional connection
Develop effective conflict resolution skills
Strengthen trust and commitment
Align values, goals, and dreams for the future
Address potential stressors before they arise (finances, family dynamics, career decisions, etc.)
With the Gottman Method, our approach goes beyond surface-level conversations, empowering you with insights that transform your relationship!
The Gottman Method is a proven approach to couples therapy, backed by over 40 years of research. It focuses on strengthening your relationship, while providing tools to address challenges effectively. It is designed to help partners rebuild trust, improve communication, and deepen their emotional connection. Using this evidence based method, we provide practical tools and guidance to help you overcome challenges in your relationship.
Therapy starts with the Gottman standard intake process, which is very important and sets the foundation of our work together. It entails 4 sessions, which includes the completion of the Gottman Checklist Assessment that identifies the unique strengths and stressors that impact the bond between a couple. From there, we can use a range of interventions the Gottmans have developed to help the couple:
Couples who engage in pre-marital counseling report:
Greater satisfaction in their relationship
Improved communication skills
A stronger foundation of trust and intimacy
Confidence in navigating life’s challenges together
Investing in your relationship now means fewer obstacles and a healthier, happier partnership later.
Take the first step toward building a marriage to last a lifetime! Contact us today to schedule your premarital session!
Benefits of Pre-Marital Counseling
Considering that half of all divorces will occur within the first 7 years of marriage, premarital counseling seems like an obvious choice in today’s world. I want to help couples transform into the confident and competent engaged by teaching them The Gottman Method.
Premarital counseling is a powerful process to proactively strengthen your relationship. Rather than wait until serious issues arise, I encourage couples to use the momentum of this joyful season they’re in to deepen and elevate their relationship. I wish when I was getting married, I would have had the opportunity to learn these skills! When you are just starting out in relationships, you often don’t know what you don’t know. Sometimes, things seem so much easier at the start of a relationship…until they don't.
Many couples express to me that they get so much value out of learning Gottman concepts early on in their relationship. They say it gives them a common language to use to talk about things that they didn't have words for before in their relationship. Speaking the same language helps, especially because communication is paramount when it comes to happy relationships.
As you start on your journey of marriage together, consider premarital counseling to discuss expectations for married life. Couples benefit from learning skills that help them navigate their relationship over the long run. These are concepts that make sense and are easy to recall long after the counseling ends.
In addition, participating in premarital counseling gets you established with a resource that can be made available to you when you need it. It’s like establishing a primary care provider. That way when you break your arm, you know where to go and get some help.
Some couples participate in premarital counseling because they are already experiencing some difficulty in the relationship. Therapy can be a good place to sort out differences or address concerns that you may have a hard time addressing on your own. Some examples why couples in my practice have sought premarital counseling include: working through prenuptial agreements, blending families, premarital stress due to wedding planning, boundary issues with family of origin, and differences in financial styles.
What Does Premarital Counseling Actually Look Like?
Counseling entails a combination of exploring your relationship dynamics and views on marriage, learning relationship skills, and co-creating goals and shared meaning together.
In my practice, that typically is 12-sessions that includes a thorough relationship history, a Gottman assessment that you fill out after our first session, feedback on your strengths and areas of growth as a couple, and a variety of conversations and exercises covering core topics such as
Stress Management and Self Care
Communication and Managing Conflict
Emotional Engagement and Bids for Attention
Finances
Sex and Intimacy
Roles, Goals, and Dreams
Addressing these topics on the forefront with the help of a counselor can help you strengthen your relationship. You’ll learn new skills, discover meaningful information about yourself and one another, and come away with tools that not only work with your partner but are transferable to really any relationship in your life.
Online thearpy Sessions Available
14701 Detroit Ave.
Lakewood OH 44107
Suite 775
Phone number: 216-512-3052
From the East
I-90 W/OH-2 W in Bratenahl from Doan Ave, Hayden Ave and Taft Ave
Continue to Cleveland
Follow US-20 W/US-6 W to Detroit Ave in Lakewood
From the West
OH-176 N from Brookpark Rd
Continue on OH-176 N. Take I-90 W to W 140th St. Take exit 165B from I-90 W
Take Bunts Rd to Detroit Ave in Lakewood