Most couples just don't realize that good, skill-based pre-marriage counseling or classes can and lead to a significantly happier marriage.
In fact, research indicates that premarital counseling can reduce the risk of divorce by up to thirty percent!
It can also reduce the stress of the pre-wedding period.
Just a little effort now can make your odds a whole lot better over the long run. You want to do everything you can to ensure that your dreams of a great marriage and a great life are realized.
Pre-marriage preparation is based on the reality that it's important to strengthen your relationship and prepare constructively for future challenges and conflicts that everyone will inevitably face at some point in their marriage,. So,don't stick your head in the sand!
Research shows that there is a window of opportunity during the year before the wedding and the six months or so after when couples get the optimum benefit from marriage preparation.
Later, under stress, negative habits and relationship patterns may become established and be much harder to resolve. Couples now face more demands and have fewer supports than ever before.
The typical complex marriage - managing two careers while rearing children - really requires that couples have very strong, well-established abilities to communicate, resolve issues, maintain mutuality and set goals. Without this foundation, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and time pressures.
Problems can intrude much more easily than most couples realize. As much as it's important to come to terms with unrealistically positive expectations, those who grew up with divorced or unhappily married parents may find that they have unacknowledged and unexplored expectations that their marriage, too, may become unhappy.
Marriage preparation functions as an immunization that boosts your capacity to handle potential difficulties. Couples need every advantage to succeed in today's marriages.
Religious vs. Non-Religious Pre-Marriage Preparation
Most couples who do receive some premarital counseling get it from their religious adviser.
This can range from one or two meetings to an extended series of sessions. While many of these programs are excellent and counseling is provided by well trained clergy, many often do not address the skill and knowledge areas that couples must have to develop a strong foundationn to succeed at marriage.
Comprehensive, structured, and flexible
Lifedimensions Premarital Counseling sessions are comprehensive, structured, but also flexible:
Eight to Ten Couple Sessions is usually all that is needed
Additional Indiviudal sessions availabe to work on problem areas
Individual Assessments (for both participants) and Family of Origin Evaluations
Personality and Relationship Inventories for disdcussions and self-knowledge
Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills Training
SEVEN RELATIONSHIP SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE AREAS
Research has shown couples need competence in seven skill and knowledge areas if they are going to succeed in ther marriage. Your Lifedimensions Premarital counseling will include all seven skill and knowledge areas
· Compatibility · Expectations · Personalities and families-of-origin · Communication · Conflict resolution · Intimacy and sexuality · Long-term goals
PREMARITAL | MARRIAGE PREPARATION 
Pre-marriage preparation is based on the reality that it's important to strengthen your relationship and prepare constructively for future challenges and conflicts that everyone will inevitably face at some point in their marriage,. So,don't stick your head in the sand!
The typical complex marriage - managing two careers while rearing children - really requires that couples have very strong, well-established abilities to communicate, resolve issues, maintain mutuality and set goals. Without this foundation, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and time pressures.
Lifedimensions Premarital Counseling sessions are comprehensive, structured, but also flexible: 