Therapie | 210 25th Ave N suite 601, Nashville, TN 37203 | Call: (615) 551 9195

Premarital Counseling

Is All The Arrangement Getting In The Way Of Your Engagement?

Getting ready to tie the knot comes with so many questions—what’s the wedding going to be like? Do we have to invite that weird cousin? Should we have a registry? Steak or chicken? And how on earth can we find a DJ who won’t insist on playing “Cha Cha Slide”? No matter how big or small, the wedding alone can be such a source of stress for couples… and that’s just the first day in the rest of a long life together.

For many couples, the urgency of planning a wedding adds to an already existing mix of anxiety, uncertainty, and anticipation about getting married. After all, you’re about to make one of the biggest commitments of your life, so it’s normal to experience the age-old proverbial “jitters” that come with saying I do. The pressure of preparing to become a devoted spouse—all while juggling the expectations of family, friends, and each other—is enough to trigger physical discomfort and emotional distress, overshadowing the joy and excitement of starting a life together.

It’s normal for disagreements and breakdowns in communication to occur leading up to The Big Day. Whether you’re on different pages about how much you want to spend on the wedding or if it’s really necessary for your brother to play the bagpipes at the reception, you are in the process of learning how to compromise, negotiate, and set boundaries. Of course, these skills will be essential long after the party—and both of you will need them as you navigate your future together.

Premarital counseling is a valuable way to ensure a successful transition into married life. Our couples counselors are experienced and here to help you learn how to build a strong, healthy marriage that will last far beyond the final dance. We’ll teach you how to initiate healthy dynamics, build a strong foundation for your relationship, and manage any of the stressors that come your way as a couple.

Interested in premarital counseling? Send us a message!

Premarital Counseling Gives You An Opportunity To Get Ahead Of Obstacles In The Marriage

Weddings are a lot like the relationships they’re celebrating—they require an investment of your time and resources, are often idealized in the media, and almost always involve unsolicited input from, well, just about everyone. It’s easy for the relationship itself to get lost in the process of matrimony, opening up a vacuum for conflict, lack of balance, and a pressure to adhere to certain norms.

Marriage is both a significant milestone and a life-changing transition that requires ongoing commitment and negotiation. Unfortunately, none of us are given a playbook for how to make our unique marriage run smoothly. Many partners enter relationships without proper communication and conflict-resolution skills, awareness of emotional blind spots, or an ability to be vulnerable. This makes having difficult conversations downright impossible at times, causing tense arguments—or maybe even no discussion at all. Soon enough, resentment takes romance’s spot, scrolling replaces sex, and I do slowly becomes I did.

We’ve all heard that intimidating divorce statistic—you know, the one about 50 percent of marriages ending in it—with many couples citing such problems as communication, financial stress, and a lack of commitment as being major factors in the decision to separate. Yet, these are resolvable issues, and premarital counseling can meaningfully help couples come to a consensus on them. In fact, many studies have found that premarital therapy contributes to lower divorce rates, reduced conflict, and a generally more satisfying relationship. [1]

Our therapists are here to help clients get through The Big Day and beyond so that they can begin a beautiful, harmonious life together.

At Therapie, We’re Invested In Making The Shared Vision Of Your Marriage A Reality

The goal of premarital therapy is to establish a strong foundation for your marriage—you’re building a house together, so you’ll need the strongest, most durable materials to weather the seasons of life together. And while the counseling process is individualized to your specific goals as a couple, we will work to identify core issues, understand how they’re impacting the relationship, and customize a toolkit for effective communication and conflict resolution.

We draw from a variety of proven couples therapy approaches to inform the premarital counseling process. The Prepare/Enrich assessment guides couples in identifying strengths and growth areas in the relationship, while the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) integrates elements of neuroscience and attachment theory to help each partner “read the room,” as it were, fostering new awareness of one another’s needs.

As we work to enhance communication, emotional regulation, planning for the future, and building intimacy and trust, we will incorporate aspects of The Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)—otherwise known as the gold standards for pre-marriage counseling.

With our guidance, you and your fiancé will be poised to leave premarital therapy with:

Active listening and non-verbal communication skills to help reduce defensiveness and foster open dialogue.
De-escalation and problem-solving techniques to slow the cycle of conflict and make room for collaboration.
Enhanced intimacy through daily check-ins and rituals of connection to strengthen your bond.
Practical skills for joint financial planning and management that will reduce money-related conflict.
Alignment on shared goals and visions for the future.

Flower arrangements, color schemes, and menu planning aside, your marriage has immense potential far past the wedding day. With premarital counseling, you can devote quality time together through the blur of planning and preparation to creating a relationship that will stand the test of time. Move over, DJ—it’s your turn to set the stage for a beautiful, harmonious life together.

Still Unsure If A Premarital Therapist Can Help You?

I am worried that premarital therapy will determine that we’re not compatible as a couple.

Every couple encounters obstacles in their relationship—it’s a natural part of sharing a life together. Addressing these issues before getting married can be key in strengthening your bond and providing clarity.

Premarital counseling is designed to help you understand each other better, improve communication, and resolve conflict. Even if challenges are identified through the process, you can feel confident entering your marriage with the tools needed to work through problems together.

We don’t have any major issues at the moment, so I’m not sure it’s necessary for us to work with a premarital counselor.

It sounds like things are going smoothly in your relationship, which is a great sign! However, premarital therapy can be valuable even if major issues aren’t present in the relationship. As an investment in your future together, counseling offers the chance to be proactive as you learn skills for deepening your emotional connection and navigating future challenges.

No road is perfectly paved; you and your partner are bound to encounter bumps along the way, but a premarital counselor can help to ensure you’re beginning your marriage with both of you headed in the same direction. Starting off on the right foot can make a good relationship even better.

We’re already devoting so much time and money to our wedding—premarital counseling isn’t worth it.

We know you have so much to consider when paying for a wedding: the venue, the caterer, the photographer, the tux, the list goes on… and don’t even mention the honeymoon. But unlike The Big Day, premarital therapy is an ongoing, long-term investment in your marriage. The skills and insights gained through this process can prevent future conflicts, saving you time, stress, and even money in the long run.

Our couples find that the benefits of counseling far outweigh the costs, and we’re happy to offer flexible scheduling to accommodate your routine and budget.

Fix What’s Amiss To Ensure Your Marital Bliss

Premarital counseling through Therapie offers you a chance to build a solid foundation for a happy, healthy marriage. To learn more about our premarital counselors, contact us.

[1] https://chhs.source.colostate.edu/is-premarital-counseling-worth-it/#:~:text=The%20good%20news%20is%20that,et%20al.%2C%202012).

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Premarital Counseling Nashville

210 25th Ave N suite 601, Nashville, TN 37203

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Therapie

Therapist in Nashville, TN

At Therapie, we offer individual and couples therapy, as well as weekend intensives and online courses, so you can get the support you need, when you need it. Our services include: individual counseling, premarital, and couples counseling. If you are working on issues related to work, your relationship or life, we got you.

Address

210 25th Ave N Ste 601, Nashville, TN, 37203

Phone

615-551-9195