Premarital Counseling
Congratulations on your upcoming or recent marriage!
I’m 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
Craig Toonder and Amanda Flasck 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 Craig and/or Amanda. 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 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.
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
*Please note: Prepare/Enrich charges a $35 fee for the online survey used in our programs.
Group Option
Explore how to safeguard your relationship with like minded couples. Join us for our 2016 Premarital Counseling Class.
Dates and Times: No classes scheduled at this time.
Tuition: $
Location:
Instructors:
For more information or to register for the class: Contact Oakland Couples Counseling at 510 499-7137 or e-mail us at ctoondermft [at] gmail.com.
Class size is limited so contact us today.
Private Option
Rather do private sessions instead?
Depending on availability Amanda or Craig will meet with you for private sessions that will focus on your personal needs as a couple.
For availability and pricing please contact Oakland Couples Counseling at 510 499-7137 or e-mail us at ctoondermft [at] gmail.com.
The Oakland Couples Counseling Premarital Program Mission
Couples wait far too long before they seek help for their marital problems. John Gottman’s research shows that couples wait an average of six years from when they first notice a problem to when they contact a therapist for help. By this time frustration, loneliness, resentment and hopelessness have often taken a huge toll on the relationship. When you consider the vast number of couples who never seek out professional help, or seek it out so late in the relationship, is it any wonder that the divorce rate is so high?
One of the missions of Oakland Couples Counseling is to move couples therapy out of the “Emergency Room” and into a preventative medicine model. After all, we see medical doctors to check on our health, mechanics to help take care of our cars, why not a counselor to help us protect our relationship to the most important person in our life.
After completing the premarital counseling, couples are welcome to come back in any time for “check in” appointments to prevent minor problems from becoming major sources of resentment.
