Premarital Coaching

MARRIAGE COACHING WITH HEATH:

First of all, I'm not a licensed therapist. However, I have 20+ years of pastoral experience and over the years, meeting with countless couples to discuss their relationships at all stages: premarital coaching, marriage counseling, and post-marriage/co-parenting counseling. I use my professional and personal experience to guide these relationship, premarital, and marriage conversations. 

These sessions are fun, NOT awkward. I promise! And I believe you will find them helpful, insightful, healing, and supportive.

In his book, The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis compares the experience and labor of marriage to that of a garden. He highlights that a garden cannot fence and weed itself. It cannot prune its own trees or cut its own lawn. A gardener is placed there to do all of these things. The gardener needs tools designed for specific jobs. She needs to know which plants require how much sunlight. He needs to know how much water each plant needs. And most importantly, the gardener needs a heart devoted to watching the garden flourish. Without all the preparation, dedication, and hard work, the garden is not a garden at all; it is merely wilderness. And its need for constant care bears witness to its glory—full of life and glowing with all sorts of color, smell, and texture.

So, just as a healthy and thriving garden does not simply appear, a healthy and thriving marriage does not either. It needs to be cultivated and requires equal effort from both of you. I use this metaphor as a guide for our sessions. 

We discuss topics like:

• The kind of marriage or relationship you desire
• Baggage you may be brinign into your relationship
• The tools needed for a healthy, thriving, and connected relationship
• Your past, present, and future relationship
• Forgiveness and reconciliation
• Developing better communication skills
• And more

WHAT TO EXPECT?

We will meet via ZOOM usually for 2-3 sessions. Each session will last about an hour and cost $125 a session.

HOW CAN IT BENEFIT YOUR RELATIONSHIP?

Research shows that participation in premarital education is associated with higher levels of satisfaction and commitment in marriage, lower levels of conflict, and reduced divorce rates. This highlights the importance of marriage counseling in building a strong foundation.

IS IT THE SAME AS COUPLES THERAPY?

No. Premarital coaching or marriage counseling is not psychotherapy. It is not intended to diagnose or treat mental health disorders. These sessions are meant to be informative and enjoyable, with a focus on building a strong foundation for a healthy, thriving relationship and marriage. By contrast, couples therapy may continue longer depending on the couple’s needs and goals. This type of therapy is more focused on helping couples work through current issues. Heath also has several excellent recommendations for marriage therapists in the Tampa Bay Area.