What is premarital counseling?
One question being asked now is “If I get married, how can I predict that it will last?” Clinicians are studying the factors that point towards predicting future marital satisfaction. There are three areas of study. • Individual traits: These include an individuals personality traits and emotional health, as well as values, attitudes, and beliefs. Examples of such traits are: flexibility and self-esteem (positive factors), depression and impulsiveness (negative factors), interpersonal skills (e.g., assertiveness), and realistic beliefs about marriage. • Couple traits: These include couple communication and conflict resolution skills, degree of acquaintance (how long and how well the couple has known each other, similarity of values and goals, and living together as a trial marriage • Personal and relationship contexts: These include family background characteristics such as previous marriages, existing children, the quality of an individuals parents marriage, family relationship qualit
