Engagement is the time to prepare for a new phase in life. It is the time to strengthen the relationship against inevitable life changes and struggles, and work through small issues so that they don't become larger issues down the road.  

​

Premarital counseling starts with an assessment of the current state of the relationship to evaluate the current strengths and challenges of the relationship and each partner's perceptions of what areas need to be focused on during premarital counseling. Common focus areas include the strength of the friendship, communication patterns, the nature of conflict and its regulation, financial management, sex, and expectations of marriage, to name a few.  

​

Effective premarital counseling generally lasts about 10 -12 sessions, depending on the goals that the couple identifies for counseling and the success of learning and implementing skills to strengthen the relationship.