WHY PRE-ENGAGEMENT COUNSELING?

Most people agree that some form of pre-marital counseling is valuable. Our approach of using pre-engagement counseling to prepare couples for marriage is not about a difference in content; it’s about strategic timing. It is our conviction that pre-engagement counseling has a number of advantages over pre-marriage counseling.

First, since choosing a mate is one of the most important decisions any of us will ever make, it is wise to prepare yourself for that decision as much as possible. Pre-engagement counseling keeps all the options on the table.

Second, it is far easier to consider the strengths and flaws of a relationship and actually be able to do something about them in the pre-engagement period than during engagement. If issues are unearthed in the process that the couple needs time to work through, there’s no countdown to a wedding day going in the background. The couple can take the time they need without undue pressure from well-meaning family and friends.

Third, pre-engagement counseling allows the couple a period of time before the life-altering decision of matrimony to consider realistically, with an experienced couple, how equipped they are to meet the demands of married life. Our material for pre-engagement counseling is called “Guide to Decide.”

Please note: if you are already engaged or married, you are still free to sign up for Guide to Decide!

The goals for this course are two-fold:

1. To help couples decide whether they are ready to engage in a life-long, God-honoring marriage with each other.

2. To lay a foundation for a lasting covenant, a joyful life, and fruitful partnership. These goals help couples consider more than simply how they feel for one another, or whether they are capable of being married for life. It is the aim of this counseling, rather, to set a standard that includes the powerful connection of two lives spent serving, loving, kingdom-building, giving, and being holy together. We are not interested in producing marriages that simply continue to exist, but rather in producing happy and whole marriages that grow and develop over a lifetime.

Please note: Registering does NOT guarantee that you and your partner will be able to start Guide to Decide. Guide to Decide is subject to the availability of guiding couples and approval of the couple’s pastors. We require that you and your significant other be dating for at least 12 months before starting Guide to Decide.

If you would like to register for Guide to Decide, please fill out the form below. After registering, please visit the payment page here. The cost of the entire Guide To Decide program is $294.

If you are only interested in taking the Taylor Johnson and/or the Prepare/Enrich assessment without registering for Pre-E, you can reach out to one of our licensed counselors, Dr. Caty Beth Royal at the Royal Counseling Center, for assistance.