Premarital Counseling

Consistent statistics are pretty hard to pin down, but some indicate a greater than 1 out of 5 chance of divorce after 5 years of marriage; greater than 33% chance after 10 years; and over 50% after 15 years. 65% of all divorces are initiated by women.  More, approximately 1 out of 4 children under 21 years of age live in single parents homes, usually with their mothers.  About 58% of these single parents are divorced due to “irreconcilable differences” (whatever this legal term might mean!).  Have you talked about religion or spirituality?  Your principals of parenting or step-parenting or grand-parenting? Money: how it will be budgeted; spending practices; how many bank accounts? Have you talked about your role expectations of ‘wife’; of ‘husband’?  Here I suggest the creation of a forum. Prior to any legal bonding, before adding children to the mix, I propose a safe vessel in which guided, open conversations clarify the values, expectations and agreements that a couple is willing to make with each other.  Included here are conversations about fears and expectations of the future, and about historical woundings and cultural influences that will inevitably impact and shape the likelihood of longevity.  I offer comprehensive tools and creative ideas for more authentic communication, conflict resolution, and healthy interdependent relatedness.

In the Lansing, Michigan area, please feel free to email or call me with any questions or comments at the address below.