Pre-Marital Counseling Outline and Topics

On Saturday Mr. Man and I went to our first pre-marital counseling session at our church. Counseling is not mandatory in our church, but it is often suggested. Our Pastor also holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, so his counseling covers more than the biblical basis of marriage. This was very important to me since I am doing my graduate work in counseling. I believe in God, but I also believe that you need to make sure your relationship is strong and counseling is a great way to help if it is done correctly.

In our first session we took a temperament assessment that will be discussed at out next session. The assessment is so we can learn more about each other's personalities and hopefully understand more about how we operate. Below is the outline of what will be discussed in our upcoming counseling sessions. The only thing that is really missing here is finances which we already have under control, but Pastor said that that will be included as well as a few other topics that are not listed. I also feel that this list could really work for any person who is seeking pre-marital counseling whether they are a Christian or not, just take out section 1 and the word Christian and faith and it will serve as a great outline.

1. The Biblical basis of marriage
• Its divine origin
• The Mosaic Law and the family
• Jesus on the subject of marriage
• Paul on the subject of marriage
2. The requirement for a successful Christian marriage
• The necessity of the new birth
• The importance of compatibility
• The influences of one's cultural background
• The necessity for similar educational experiences
• Taking a partner of like faith
• Communication
• Ethnic Background
• Racial Background
3. Role concepts in Christian marriage
• Confusion of roles in today's society
• Definition of roles
• The scriptural role concepts of the wife
• The scriptural role concepts of the husband
4. Adjustment in Christian marriage
• Necessity of adjustment
• Psychological adjustment
• Time required for adjustment
• Sexual adjustment
5. Adjustment to In-laws
• In-law problems caused by parents
• In-law problems caused by married children
• Major periods of adjustment with In-laws
6. Counseling and family problems
• Counseling saves marriages
• Reasons for not seeking help
• When counseling is needed
• Successful Christian counseling involves both partners
• The necessity for seeking help early