Marriage is an important event of life. It is an untraversed path for the most. However, marriage has many aspects which many people are not aware of till they experience it. Men and women both have different physical, emotional and sexual needs. Even, their way of thinking and perceiving usually differs from each other.
Premarital counselling is a therapy which helps to prepare the couples mentally for marriage. The counselling helps to make sure that you and your spouse can have a strong and healthy relationship throughout your life. Premarital counselling helps to improve a couple’s relationship before marriage. Following topics are discussed during the premarital counselling:
- Finances
- Communication
- Beliefs and values
- Roles in marriage
- Affection and sex
- Children and parenting
- Family relationships
- Decision-making
- Dealing with anger
- Time spent together
Importance of Pre-marital counselling
- Premarital counselling helps to improve the communications between the partners and set realistic goals for marriage. It also helps to develop conflict-resolution skills. A positive attitude is established between the couples with the help of premarital counselling.
- The primary step of premarital counselling is to prepare would-be bride and groom to understand the significance of marriage. Such counselling helps them develop the mentality of changing themselves and adjust with their partners in their spaces.
- When bride or groom is mentally prepared for the marriage, the next step is the selection of the suitable partner. Compatibility between the partners is assessed instead of assessing the individual merits. This is a difficult job because at this time each partner tries to hide their negative characters and put their best in front. It is also difficult to predict the way partners will relate with each other whether love or an arranged or an arranged-cum-love marriage. Inter-caste, inter-religious or marriage with a foreigner are some critical situations which might cause a problem in future if not paid attention before marriage.
- During counselling, each partner is asked separate questions to answer in written format to assess their perspectives about each other and their marital relationship. Various issues including gender equality, liberalisation & opening up of society, women adopting equal responsibility as breadwinner, nuclear families, demanding lifestyle, extremely cut throat competitive world, and stresses & strains of day-to-day life are discussed during the session.
- It is also important to rule out certain diseases including thalassaemia, haemophilia, sickle-cell anaemia, and certain strains of Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and others before marriage.
In conclusion premarital counselling helps to understand each other as a couple and their expectations from the marriage.
