skip to Main Content
912-349-8043 New Patient Forms
All Couples

Premarital Counseling

What is Premarital Counseling? Who benefits from it? Is it still worth the effort if everything is going great with your beloved? Doesn’t going to therapy mean that there is a problem in your relationship?

 

Premarital Counseling can take many shapes, be performed by a variety of mental health practitioners, and can vary in theory and number of sessions. The long and short of it, is that Premarital Counseling is often customized for the specific couple seeking therapy and the focus of your time is based on the goals of you and your partner.

 

Therapists may help clients identify and negotiate expectations they have about married life, including what roles each partner may be expected to perform, parenthood, in-laws, sexuality, and religion/spirituality. Clients may also use their time in Premarital Counseling to work on areas including communication, conflict resolution, and commitment. Sometimes we experience blind spots with those we are close to, and Premarital Counseling can help bring these topics to light.

 

A 2003 meta-analysis performed by Carroll and Doherty suggests that couples who attend Premarital Counseling saw demonstrable improvements in their relationship, to the extent that they were better equipped for marriage than 79% of couples that did not receive Premarital Counseling. Carlson and colleagues (2012) found that men who participated in Premarital Counseling showed marked improvements in their relationship satisfaction, as well as experiencing a dramatic decrease in individual distress. Women who participated in Premarital Counseling showed a similar increase in relationship satisfaction (Carlson, Daire, Munyon, & Young, 2012).

 

Going to Premarital Counseling does not mean your relationship is broken. What going to Premarital Counseling communicates to your therapist, to your partner, and to the world, is that you care about the life-long commitment you are about to embark on. It communicates that you want a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your partner and are willing to put in the time and effort to get there together. Any happily married person will tell you that some days are easier than others, but wouldn’t it be great if you could see those cloudy days on the horizon, be able to lessen the impact when a storm does invariably arrive, and have the tools to weather those days as a team?

 

This article was written by Savanah Kite, intern at Building Blocks Family Counseling.

For more information on premarital counseling please call at 912-349-8043 or email us at [email protected]

 

*References

Carlson, R. G., Daire, A. P., Munyon, M. D., & Young, M. E. (2012). A comparison of

cohabiting and noncohabiting couples who participated in premarital counseling

using the prepare model. The Family Journal, 20(2), 123-130. doi: 10.1177/1066480712441588

Carroll J. S., & Doherty W. J. (2003). Evaluating the effectiveness of premarital prevention programs: A meta-analytic review of outcome research. Family Relations, 52, 105–118.

 

Ashley Moore

Ashley Moore

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in relationship issues in the Pooler, GA area. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Valdosta State University in 2008. During this time, I discovered my passion was working with couples and families in a therapeutic setting. This led me to complete my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Valdosta State University in 2010. I specialize in working with couples dealing with premarital issues, infidelity, communication issues, conflict, intimacy issues, parenting, etc. I also work with parents and their children (ages 2-6) experiencing behavior issues. I am currently a level one Gottman trained couples therapist as well as Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator. I am also currently working on my PCIT Certified Therapist credential. For more information on Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) see here (link to PCIT service page). I also provide supervision to associate level therapists and am an AAMFT Approved Supervisor.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • (if under 18)
  • School Information

  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: doc, docx, txt, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 5.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • Dear Parent/Guardian:

      Your student has been referred to the School Counseling Telehealth Program with Building Blocks Family Counseling. This is a collaboration between the Effingham School System and Building Blocks Family Counseling- a mental health private practice with locations in Savannah, Pooler, and Rincon.

      How does it work?

      A referral will be sent from your student’s school counselor to Building Blocks. You will receive a call from our office to set up an appointment, get insurance information, complete paperwork, etc. An online intake appointment will be scheduled for your student during the school day (based on times provided by the school counselor). An online intake appointment will also be scheduled between your student’s therapist and yourself to gather information regarding your student. The Therapist will schedule routine parent/guardian check-ins with you and family sessions as needed. Sessions with students will generally be weekly (during school hours) and last for 30-45 minutes. Parent/Guardian sessions can be held during or after school hours and last for 45-50 minutes.

      Paperwork Needed

      In order to provide these services we need the following paperwork completed for each student. A new client intake packet, child/adolescent questionnaire, and a release of information for the school counselor. We will be coordinating sessions with your student through the school counselors at their school so it is important we have the release of information completed.

      Appointments

      Appointment reminders via email, text, and phone will be sent the day before any scheduled appointments. Please make sure we have the best contact information on file so you will receive all of the reminders.

      If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to address these with your therapist. If you feel like your student no longer needs services, please also communicate this with your therapist. For more information on Building Blocks Family Counseling, please go to our website at www.buildingblocks.solutions.

    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • (if applicable)
    • (if applicable)
    • I authorize a two-way release of records/information between the following Effingham County School and Building Blocks Family Counseling:
    • Type of Release: This release is to allow the school to openly communicate with the assigned therapist at Building Blocks regarding appointment scheduling and information about your child’s counseling services throughout the school year. Valid For: Current school year ONLY.
    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • (if applicable)
    • I authorize a two-way release of records/information between the following individuals/facilities and Building Blocks Family Counseling:
    • I understand and verify that due to COVID-19 this is a virtual signature and has the same implications as a regular signature.
    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    • MM slash DD slash YYYY
      Please select all that apply
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.