Premarital Counseling
The Four Keys To Marital Success
- Understand relationship patterns and pitfalls
- Negotiate conflict and accept differences
- Create more intimacy and connection
- Develop a shared vision and align around common values
Congratulations on your upcoming or recent marriage!
Were glad you’re investing in safeguarding your relationship. As you are probably aware, in the past ten years divorce rates in America have averaged between 40-50%! Obviously, nobody decides to marry expecting to get divorced. However, many of us enter into marriage unaware of the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead. Often times we unknowingly carry unrealistic expectations. Most couples experience some struggle adjusting to each other’s differences in personality or family of origin dynamics. Many of us have never been taught important communication and other valuable relationship skills. And some couples haven’t really talked about the logistics of managing money, raising children, or agreeing upon individual roles and responsibilities.
While it’s true that we all come with our gifts and our baggage, successful couples are not problem free. Compatible couples have simply learned to navigate strengths and weaknesses as a team. The goal of premarital therapy is to give couples the insights and tools necessary to navigate this learning process together.
The PREPARE/ENRICH Program
Amanda Flasck and Craig Toonder are certified PREPARE/ENRICH facilitators. PREPARE/ENRICH is a proven, very successful program that has been helping couples explore and strengthen their relationships for over thirty years. With Prepare/Enrich, you will be able to take an online survey prior to meeting with me. The survey will help determine what your strengths and potential weaknesses are as a couple. This key information will allow us to focus on how to make your relationship stronger. The six-session program will also contain structured discussions and practice exercises to allow you to incorporate new listening techniques, conflict management skills and negotiation tools to protect your marriage.
“A successful relationship is not something you have, it is something you do.”
– Scott Peck
In summary the goals of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program are:
- Explore strength and growth areas
- Strengthen communication skills
- Identify and manage major stressors
- Improve conflict management
- Develop a more balanced relationship
- Explore family of origin issues
- Discuss financial planning and budgeting
- Establish personal, couple and family goals
- Understand and appreciate personality differences
Wait, there’s more…
In addition to the information in the PREPARE/ENRICH Program, as a licensed couples therapist, We, also, offer the same insights and assessments that we use to diagnose more subtle issues for couples who struggle with communication, connection, and conflict. This additional assessment will help you avoid common pitfalls as well as recognize early warning signs of potentially dangerous dynamics in your relationship before they create wear and tear to your sense of love and connection.
For more information or to register contact us for a free phone consultation at:
510 499-7137
Or e-mail me at: ctoondermft [at] gmail.com