Relationship Counselling
When two people get together they always have the best of intentions, we hope that our relationship will last forever. This is not always easy to achieve. Life happens, changes happen, we have personal and family crisis, we have children, change jobs, move, we each grow and develop as individuals. As life goes on it is hard to keep up sometimes, and sometimes our relationships suffer too.
We know when our relationships are not working out as we had planned, we know because we may feel ignored, misunderstood, angry, overwhelmed or lonely. However knowing that we are no longer happy is not the same as knowing what to do about it. We may see the warning signs, we may feel that things are getting worse as time goes by, but we may not know how to respond. Sometimes we hope that with time things and circumstances will change, or we ignore the issues thinking that bringing it up will only make things worse. Sometimes even if we do try to talk to our partners we just end up going in circles.
When people are unhappy, they often want someone to talk to. Relationship counselling can provide a useful forum for couples. Relationship counselling is about assessing the relationship and helping the couple see the obstacles, giving perspective and helping a couple to make sense of what is going on in the relationship while helping them to explore ways of moving forward.
When two people get together they always have the best of intentions, we hope that our relationship will last forever. This is not always easy to achieve. Life happens, changes happen, we have personal and family crisis, we have children, change jobs, move, we each grow and develop as individuals. As life goes on it is hard to keep up sometimes, and sometimes our relationships suffer too.
We know when our relationships are not working out as we had planned, we know because we may feel ignored, misunderstood, angry, overwhelmed or lonely. However knowing that we are no longer happy is not the same as knowing what to do about it. We may see the warning signs, we may feel that things are getting worse as time goes by, but we may not know how to respond. Sometimes we hope that with time things and circumstances will change, or we ignore the issues thinking that bringing it up will only make things worse. Sometimes even if we do try to talk to our partners we just end up going in circles.
When people are unhappy, they often want someone to talk to. Relationship counselling can provide a useful forum for couples. Relationship counselling is about assessing the relationship and helping the couple see the obstacles, giving perspective and helping a couple to make sense of what is going on in the relationship while helping them to explore ways of moving forward.
Pre-Marital/Pre-Cohabitation Preparation
Who should receive pre-marital/pre-cohabitation counselling? Everyone!
Would you start a business without a plan? Would you buy a house without looking at it, getting an inspection or a mortgage? Getting married or deciding to live with someone is one of the most important and life-changing experiences you will have. Consider the statistics, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. Most engaged couples or couples who are planning to start a life together don’t believe that they will become one of these statistics. Some mistakenly believe that having lived together or having known each other for a long time will prepare them for marriage. Another statistic is that couples who cohabitate have no better chance at success than others.
If you are counting on luck or love or physical attraction to make you marriage succeed then the odds are against you. It has been shown that marriage education and pre-planning can reduce the risk of your relationship ending. Since getting into a long-term relationship, be it marriage or cohabitating affects your life in so many ways it is important that you do everything you can to ensure success and happiness in the long run.
Preparation should be based on the reality that it is important to strengthen your relationship and prepare constructively now for future challenges and conflicts that everyone in every relationship will have to face at some point in time in their relationship. If you are planning to get married or planning to live together now is the time to prepare for the future. Later on in your relationship when negative habits and poor relationship patterns have been established issues become much, much harder to resolve. Couples today have to deal with more and more demands with fewer and fewer supports than ever before. The typical family today consists of two working parents. Managing two careers, raising children, and running a house leaves lots of room for stress and conflict and little room for communication and compassion.
Couples who have well-established, strong communication skills are better equipped to problem solve, set goals and work together. Without pre-planning for life’s stressor it becomes easy for people to feel overwhelmed, stressed and pressured. Problems, even little ones can eat away at a relationship more easily than a couple may realize, often irreparable damage is done by the little things over time. Large granite cliffs have been eroded away by a trickle of water. Preparation is like a vaccination against disease, it makes you stronger and less vulnerable.
What is Pre-Marital/Pre-Cohabitation Preparation?
Traditionally couples who have attended pre-marital counselling received it from a religious advisor. The services offered vary. If you are not affiliated with a religious organization or feel you need a different kind of service then feel free to explore this page to understand what River Wood Counselling Services offers.
This is a skill-building curriculum. A chance to offer couples a chance to explore their relationship and decide now how to handle challenges in the future.
Sessions will provide a chance for couples to examine themselves and each other, a chance to discuss and plan. This is a chance to ‘try on’ and solve the normal issues and challenges that all couples face during the course of their relationship.
Couples will participate in exploring their relationship. This will include issues like compatibilities and expectations, personalities, family of origin issues, communication skills, and conflict resolutions skills. We will also consider intimacy and sexuality as well as planning for long-term goals.
What You Will Get From Pre-Marital/Pre-Cohabitation Preparation:
Four 50 minute sessions for $300.00 (includes a workbook and reference material).
Who should receive pre-marital/pre-cohabitation counselling? Everyone!
Would you start a business without a plan? Would you buy a house without looking at it, getting an inspection or a mortgage? Getting married or deciding to live with someone is one of the most important and life-changing experiences you will have. Consider the statistics, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. Most engaged couples or couples who are planning to start a life together don’t believe that they will become one of these statistics. Some mistakenly believe that having lived together or having known each other for a long time will prepare them for marriage. Another statistic is that couples who cohabitate have no better chance at success than others.
If you are counting on luck or love or physical attraction to make you marriage succeed then the odds are against you. It has been shown that marriage education and pre-planning can reduce the risk of your relationship ending. Since getting into a long-term relationship, be it marriage or cohabitating affects your life in so many ways it is important that you do everything you can to ensure success and happiness in the long run.
Preparation should be based on the reality that it is important to strengthen your relationship and prepare constructively now for future challenges and conflicts that everyone in every relationship will have to face at some point in time in their relationship. If you are planning to get married or planning to live together now is the time to prepare for the future. Later on in your relationship when negative habits and poor relationship patterns have been established issues become much, much harder to resolve. Couples today have to deal with more and more demands with fewer and fewer supports than ever before. The typical family today consists of two working parents. Managing two careers, raising children, and running a house leaves lots of room for stress and conflict and little room for communication and compassion.
Couples who have well-established, strong communication skills are better equipped to problem solve, set goals and work together. Without pre-planning for life’s stressor it becomes easy for people to feel overwhelmed, stressed and pressured. Problems, even little ones can eat away at a relationship more easily than a couple may realize, often irreparable damage is done by the little things over time. Large granite cliffs have been eroded away by a trickle of water. Preparation is like a vaccination against disease, it makes you stronger and less vulnerable.
What is Pre-Marital/Pre-Cohabitation Preparation?
Traditionally couples who have attended pre-marital counselling received it from a religious advisor. The services offered vary. If you are not affiliated with a religious organization or feel you need a different kind of service then feel free to explore this page to understand what River Wood Counselling Services offers.
This is a skill-building curriculum. A chance to offer couples a chance to explore their relationship and decide now how to handle challenges in the future.
Sessions will provide a chance for couples to examine themselves and each other, a chance to discuss and plan. This is a chance to ‘try on’ and solve the normal issues and challenges that all couples face during the course of their relationship.
Couples will participate in exploring their relationship. This will include issues like compatibilities and expectations, personalities, family of origin issues, communication skills, and conflict resolutions skills. We will also consider intimacy and sexuality as well as planning for long-term goals.
What You Will Get From Pre-Marital/Pre-Cohabitation Preparation:
- You will be able to identify and develop you relationship strengths
- You will have a better understanding of yourself, your partner and the relationship you share
- You will have the chance to explore and develop you and your partner’s expectations, both long and short term
- Learn the boundaries of your relationship, from each other’s perspective
- Learn ways to accommodate each other in terms of personality and lifestyle, finding a mutually acceptable balance
- Learn conflict management and resolution skills
- Identify areas of your relationship that may need to change and make a plan for the necessary changes in a manner that honours both partners
- Explore extended family issues and develop strategies for the future
- Learn to avoid negative relationship habits and to develop strategies and approaches that promote relationship growth
- Plan for the normal ‘ups and downs’ in relationship
Four 50 minute sessions for $300.00 (includes a workbook and reference material).
