Premarital Counseling

God brings people together, joining those who will establish His heart for family. We are privileged to participate in this when our friendships advance into dating relationships, then evolve to His design for marriage. Even as traditional vows state, the decision to marry and tie our souls to another isn’t one that we enter into lightly. We have invested time with God and one another, using our period of dating to get acquainted and to gather a sense of God’s joint purpose for our love and our lives. At Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling, we offer premarital counseling for dating and engaged couples to establish a firm foundation on which to build their married life together.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(805) 356-3664

Schedule an Appointment

What is Premarital Counseling?

Premarital counseling sets the rules of engagement so couples can do more than plan for a ceremony, but rather prepare for a life together. Premarital counseling at Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling in California offers couples the opportunity to proactively identify and work through issues that could otherwise spring up and trouble them during marriage.

Here, engaged couples establish a shared vision and develop communication skills and strategies with the support and in the presence of an objective, yet empathetic professional Christian couples counselor in Thousand Oaks, California.

Before encountering the pressure and responsibilities associated with lifelong covenant, having a professional’s insight and guidance facilitates the exchange between couples in a safe space. Furthermore, premarital counseling in Thousand Oaks fosters an environment for couples to receive support, tools, and resources to strengthen the foundation of their relationship.

Premarital counseling acts as a proactive measure to make us ready and resilient for the challenges sure to come. Regardless of how much we may be enamored with one another, we need a strategy to protect our love and covenant when facing life beyond the fairytale illusion.

Premarital counseling at Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling in California teaches us how to apply the spiritual and practical principles to connect, encounter conflicts, communicate, and overcome challenges.

In pre-marriage therapy, we gain a framework to guide us through how to live no longer as two separate individuals, but as two who are in the process of becoming one. It sounds romanticized, but learning how to engage the help of the Holy Spirit and our future spouse garners support for not simply surviving, but thriving in marriage.

Having an open mind and a positive attitude are essential to going and growing forward in the premarital counseling process. The nature of counseling opens our eyes to what we hadn’t noticed about ourselves, which can be positive and also highlight areas for growth and change.

Similarly, it can reveal facets of our partners that look different from what we may have anticipated. Premarital counseling can challenge preconceived notions, which can take some time and discussion to work through until we sense God’s peace and forward movement. Our discoveries may cause us to revisit and realign perceptions of marriage and our future mate through a more realistic lens and the light of Scripture.

While every couple is different, there are a few basic topics outlined and explored in premarital counseling at Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling in California. Each couple’s needs will determine the depth and the expanse with which your counselor delves into each area. Although additional topics may arise as couples progress through the premarital counseling journey, a willingness and adaptability to pivot in the process actually invests in marriages before they begin.

It is useful for couples to consider the following topics, and perhaps, to bring a few of their own to pursue and explore during the set time of premarital counseling:

● Finances
● Faith and spirituality
● Communication
● Children and family
● Intimacy (emotional and physical)

Next Steps

Engagement represents an exciting time in the life of a couple. You celebrate with God, one another, and your loved ones as you approach what people call the Big Day. However, it is important to balance the flurry of planning for a wedding, ensuring that you anchor yourself in preparing for the marriage itself.
While it may seem romantic that you and your future spouse are braving the elements together, recognize that you can benefit from the wisdom and support that a counselor can add to your life.

While you are planning for the next season, reflect and review the resources available on this site. As you do, search for a counselor and schedule an appointment for premarital counseling at Thousand Oaks Christian Counseling in California.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(805) 356-3664

Schedule an Appointment