Premarital Counseling in Atlanta, Georgia
Start Your Marriage on the Same Page
One of life's most thrilling experiences is planning a wedding. Both of you are excited to start a new chapter in your lives as a married couple and have high expectations for the future.
Premarital Counseling is often forgotten amongst the many other wedding planning essentials. Many people question if they should bother. When is the right time to start?
Regardless of what phase of marriage you are in, going to a marriage counselor is an excellent way to learn to communicate and solve problems more effectively.
Ready to lay the groundwork for lasting love between two people?
What is Premarital Counseling?
The goal of premarital counseling is to initiate conversations that have proven essential in successful marriages. Because one key to a fruitful relationship is identifying the concerns and values that each partner holds most dear, Premarital Counseling provides a head start to building a solid marriage. Sessions will explore content areas that inevitably come up over the course of marriage such that partners have insight into each other beliefs and desires prior to being faced with challenges.
We recognize that prior insight does not eliminate conflict and disagreement, however, it does help us to relate to our partner’s perspective despite our disagreement. Our premarital counselors want to help you have a healthy, intentional start to your marriage.
Benefits of Premarital Counseling
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- Build Staying Power - Premarital counseling reduces the risk of divorce. Research suggests that couples that choose this route are 30% more likely to remain together than those who do not.
- Improve Communication and Conflict Resolution - Any form of marriage counseling is a great way to learn more about each other and strengthen your communication skills. In every relationship, but especially in marriage, it's crucial to have the ability to talk things out effectively.
- Establish Roles and Expectations - Exploring unspoken and sometimes unconscious expectations of your partner helps to clarify expectations for finances, intimacy, household duties, etc. The discussion provides an opportunity for mutual understanding and agreement.
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Our PREPARE/ENRICH Certified Facilitators
We Use Research Based Assessments for Premarital Counseling in Atlanta
PREPARE/ENRICH is a relationship program shown to improve relationship dynamics. It assists couples and romantic partners in exploring various components of their relationship. Research indicates that simply participating in the program initiates a significant increase in couple communication and satisfaction. The complete program entails an introductory session and completion of a standardized inventory followed by 6-10 skill-building follow up sessions. Follow up discussions include topics of conflict resolution, money management, communication, and spiritual beliefs.
Although primarily used for premarital counseling, the PREPARE/ENRICH program is effective for both married and unmarried couples or partnerships.
Premarital Counseling Can Provide You And Your Partner With The Skills, Insights, And Connection Needed For A Successful Marriage
Why PREPARE/ENRICH?
You need premarital counseling or marriage counseling AND you want an unbiased assessment of your relationship's areas of strength and growth?
PREPARE/ENRICH provides just that. You'll complete a heavily researched questionnaire to gain reliable and objective insight into your philosophy as a couple. The inventory uses 30 Customized Scales including 12 Relationship Scales, 5 SCOPE Personality Scales, 4 Couple and Family, and 4 Relationship Dynamic Scales.
Relationships are work! The PREPARE/ENRICH assessment and follow up sessions help to organize and focus that work. Often couples become fixated on issues that are minimal in the grand scheme of the relationship. By engaging in this program couples can avoid allowing minor nuisances to ruin their relationship.
Other PREPARE/ENRICH Benefits
- Increase relationship satisfaction
- Gain insight into your relationship dynamics
- Increase awareness, assertiveness, and active listening skills
- Decrease the possibility of divorce by 30%*
- Enhance relationship skills
- Increase confidence in handling the future as a couple
Upon review of all program materials, couples are issued a Certificate of Completion that can be used toward a discount toward your marriage license.
Note: The PREPARE/ENRICH assessment must not be used to determine compatibility or predict the future of a relationship. The inventory captures a snapshot of the relationship at the time it is taken. As a result of the assessment, partners can determine whether or not more extensive relationship counseling or couples counseling is necessary.
What if We're Already Married?
Couples Therapy or Marriage Counseling is beneficial at any stage in your relationship. It is not unusual for partners to marry only realize the conversations they wished they'd had before tying the knot.
Couples only stand to strengthen and enrich their relationships by completing traditional premarital discussions after their wedding date.
Additionally, things change! Throughout the course of the relationship, each person grows and learns new things about themselves and their desires. Completing services geared towards premarital counseling after marriage helps you to revisit conversations while honoring new information.
Are follow up sessions with a Premarital Counselor required?
Yes! The assessment alone is useless to you. Follow up sessions involve strategic discussions of your results to elicit further insight and relationship health. Partners must commit to a minimum of 6 follow up sessions before receiving assessment access.
What determines the number of follow up sessions?
The short answer is: Your Relationship. Six sessions is the minimum required to complete all materials associated with the PREPARE/ENRICH program content. A recommendation of more than six sessions is NOT a negative valuation of your relationship, it is simply a recommendation to allow you more time to deeply discuss certain growth areas. Additional sessions are also appropriate for couples who desire time for individual attention and/or some specific work in certain areas.
As professional premarital counselors, our staff is trained to assist partners with counseling needs as they arise during the program. Thus, by completing the program with a therapist, you will receive more therapeutic interventions than non-licensed facilitators can provide.
What is the investment?
The PREPARE/ENRICH assessment requires a one-time fee of $35 to gain access to the inventory. This fee is paid directly to the developers. Partners then choose to attend weekly or bi-weekly sessions for 60 minutes each. The investment for each session is $120 - 200. Sessions are also available as a package at a discounted rate. The program is also offered as two 4-hour intensive sessions upon request.
Prepare/Enrich services are also provided by select interns at the reduced rate of $70 per session.
Our PREPARE/ENRICH Certified Facilitators
Start Premarital Counseling for Black Couples in Atlanta, Georgia
If you want to start your marriage off on the same page as your partner our Atlanta premarital counselors can help. Through premarital counseling, we can help you determine the areas of strength and growth within your relationship. At Simplicity Psychotherapy, we can help you develop the skills, connections, and insight that you need to have a successful marriage. Get started by following these steps:
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- Reach out for a free consultation with a premarital counselor
- Schedule your first premarital counseling appointment
- Grow your relationship before your wedding
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Other Therapy Services Offered By Our Black Therapists in Atlanta, GA
Besides premarital counseling for black couples, our Atlanta therapists also offer relationship therapy, marriage counseling, and couples therapy. Additionally, at our Atlanta-based counseling practice, we offer individual therapy for Black women and Black men. Such as therapy for anxiety, depression, and grief counseling. All of these services are offered in person at our office or to anyone in Georgia through online therapy.
* According to research conducted by PREPARE/ENRICH