Yesterday was our second pre-marital session with the counselor, and I have to admit I'm liking it more and more each time. We received three sessions as a gift from a family member since our church doesn't offer anything similar. I'm so lucky to be with a guy who is totally open to things like this, and who's invested in our relationship being the best that it can be.
I wasn't sure what to expect going in, in fact I was even a little apprehensive, but it has turned out to be more eye opening than I thought. My fiance and I had no specific issues we needed to address but it was interesting learning about common marital issues and what skills we should have in order to deal with any problems that might arise in the future. The counselor put us at ease right away, and was humorous and lighthearted making opening-up be pretty effortless.
The first session concentrated on our backgrounds, our relationship up till now and our hopes for our future. The counselor talked to us about common problems couples face in the first few years of marriage and asked us how we'd go about solving them if they happened to us.
During the second session we talked in depth about aspects of our relationship that are going well that we'd like to continue, and things we need to work on and need to improve. We also talked about our families and how they express love and communicate and how that is evident in us. This session really reinforced my belief that we have a really solid foundation, and that we're both invested in making this work through thick and thin. It also explained why he and I act a certain way in relationships, mirroring what we saw our parents do.
The third session will be about our expectations of marriage and of each other. We both have a vision of what we'd like our future to be like together, and what we think marriage really means, and we will get to share that with each other. I am looking forward to it.
It has been a fulfilling experience so far and it is interesting talking with someone who is an experienced marriage counselor. He has heard about almost every type of problem that married couples can face and he is preparing to us for what can go wrong and what we can do to prevent it. I'd definitely recommend something like this to every couple in the midst of wedding planning.
September 24th, 2008 at 07:14 pm 1222283655
September 24th, 2008 at 07:29 pm 1222284580
September 24th, 2008 at 07:36 pm 1222284964
If nothing else, to open on your 10th anniversary for some chuckles ?!
Congrats and ♥
September 24th, 2008 at 07:47 pm 1222285675
Pretty Cheap Jewelry - great idea! At the suggestion of our counselor we are keeping our homework and notes to look back on later. I'm also using a lot of what I wrote in my wedding vows. Although those will be read to each other in private, not during the ceremony.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:12 pm 1222294340
From hearing that, I knew I wouldn't be going to a counselor! But your sessions seem to be genuinely helpful... maybe I'll reconsider one day!
September 25th, 2008 at 03:54 am 1222314843
September 25th, 2008 at 12:13 pm 1222344810
But keep us updated on your counseling, I find the sessions so fascinating.