Premarital Counselling
Before You Say “I Do'“
Congratulations!
You are ready to say “I do,” but wait- are you really ready? Hmm…You are reading this page because you are contemplating setting the foundation right for the significant next chapter of your life, and we are happy to tag along on the journey.
Taking the next big step together can be very exciting, but spending your life together can also stir up some big questions.
How do we manage our finances? What if I have a different view of money than my partner?
Do we want children or not?
How do we get along with our in-laws? What are some family rituals & traditions we would like to bring along into our new family?
How do we work through our differences of opinion?
I don’t want to end up in a marriage like my parent's marriage.
You are so excited & invested in planning the smallest of details for your “big day” but what about preparing for the lifelong journey you are ready to embark on together?
Most couples don’t have good relationship role models & the baggage of unrealistic expectations passed down through cultural norms, myths & social media keep them stuck in a “negative feedback loop.” Couples can feel unsure about their expectations regarding roles, values & belief systems in marriage. They can feel disconnected & may end up separating. Some of the leading causes include:
Lack of commitment
Unrealistic expectations
Infidelity
Too much arguing
Lack of communication
Lack of Preparedness
Did we say “lack of preparedness”...At Voyage Couples Therapy in Etobicoke, we utilize the evidence-based model “Prepare-enrich” that equips you with a toolbox to better prepare for issues that come up through life's journey. Couples who do commit to premarital work reduce the divorce rate by 30%.
Clients Reach Out For
Couples looking to set the right foundation for their relationship
Prevention of future problems (conflicts, communication breakdowns & negative feedback loops)
Explore views & expectations about marriage
Communication breakdown, avoidance of difficult conversations or heated arguments
Disagreements related to financial matters: spending habits, budgeting & goals
Boundaries with in-laws & extended family & disagreement about how to handle family dynamics
Concerns regarding sexual satisfaction, different desires, and previous traumatic sexual experience.
Lack of alliance regarding decision-making for important topics: where to live, when to start a family, financial contributions, or religious beliefs & practices.
Premarital Counselling is focused on helping you identify your strengths & areas of concern; prevention focuses on creating a dialogue in a safe space around different themes that impact a couple's journey of life as well as creating together a blueprint for life that you envision create with your partner.
We Work Together With You On
Helping you create a blueprint for your unique “Happily Forever”.
Learn about effective communication (validation, reflecting listening & assertive speaking)
Conflict Resolution (10-step model, time out, forgiveness, compromise & finding mutually satisfying solutions)
You will learn how to solve a problem as a team & honour each other’s perspectives
Financial management (relationship with money for each partner, budget, goals)
Managing external stressors, awareness of triggers & learning ways to address them.
Roles in marriage & expectations
Navigating relationships with “New Family members”
Sex & affection ( individual needs & desires, barriers for deep connections & how to maintain deep emotional bonds)
Spiritual beliefs, hopes & dreams
What To Expect From Premarital Counselling
In our first session together, we like to offer a comforting, inviting, safe space to open a discussion on:
What brings you both to therapy?
Relationship history & story of engagement?
Understanding what your expectations are in terms of time & investment in the process
Both of you complete a “Prepare-enrich Assessment” before your second session. The assessment allows us to take a deep dive into your areas of strength & growth areas, along with structuring our future sessions based on “Mutual Goals.”
Each session is structured around a theme or topic, focusing on assessment feedback and open discussion to understand individual needs and facilitate deeper understanding and intimacy.
Premarital Counselling is a short-term result-oriented approach lasting 7-9 sessions.
I am ready but I have some questions. What do I do?
We at “Voyage Couples Therapy” understand the importance of having a connection with your therapist before you commit to the process. We offer a Free 20-minute consultation so that you feel completely confident in finding the right fit, understand our outcome-driven model & get started with building the dream life that you deserve.
Ready to take the next steps toward your healing expedition?
Explore Specialities
We encourage you to learn more about how can we offer support, and our modalities & identify services aligning with your needs.
Book a 20min Consultation
During our call, we explore your needs & goals, answer your questions & explain our process to therapy.
Attend First Session
After the consultation, attend your first session where we dive deeper into your objectives and begin our collaborative journey.