Couples therapy involves helping couples to improve their relationship or sometimes to make a decision about whether to stay together. This decision remains with the couple. A couples therapist facilitates communication, compromise, listening and may offer suggestions about how to navigate issues, patterns and stumbling blocks. Sometimes couples are given homework so they can integrate new skills and patterns into their daily lives.
Pre-Engagement Counseling helps couples who are getting ready for marriage a chance to understand how to handle differences and key issues as a team. It can be a preparatory period to make sure couples are on the same page, have a shared vision, good communication, shared values and the ability to compromise going forward.