Premarital Counseling Package in Omaha

The Pre-Marital Package is designed for couples who are preparing for marriage or a lifelong commitment, or who are early in their relationship and want to start on the right foot. You don’t have to be in trouble to benefit. Honestly, the best time to learn how to handle conflict is before you’ve had years of practice doing it badly. Working with engaged and newly married couples has been part of my practice for nearly three decades, and I love it because it’s preventative. We’re pouring the foundation, not patching cracks in it.

Your first session is a 90-minute assessment. Together we review the history of your relationship: how you met, what drew you to each other, how you’ve handled big decisions so far, and any concerns either of you has about married life. I’ll also give each of you a relationship questionnaire to complete and return to me, and I review your answers carefully before we meet again.

Your second session is a 60-minute feedback session, and this is where it gets interesting. I’ll walk you through your questionnaire results alongside my professional feedback. You’ll see where your relationship is already strong and where you’re most likely to bump into trouble down the road. Common themes include money, family and in-laws, roles around the house, intimacy, and how each of you handles conflict and stress. None of it is a grade. Think of it as a map.

Your third session is a 75-minute skill-building session. Based on your assessment and feedback, I’ll tailor specific exercises to your relationship. We might practice bringing up a complaint gently, noticing when an argument is going off the rails and taking a break, repairing after a rough moment, or staying connected when outside stress piles up. Gottman’s research flags criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling as warning signs, and the stable couples in his studies kept roughly five positive interactions for every negative one during conflict. We’ll build habits that keep you on the healthy side of that line.

Couples who’ve completed the package have told me they came away with skills to keep their friendship strong, keep negativity low, handle outside stressors and hold on to a positive view of each other. It’s worth keeping in perspective, too: the package costs a fraction of what most couples spend on the wedding day, and it’s focused on the part that lasts. The Pre-Marital Package is educational in nature and is not psychotherapy. Sessions are scheduled Monday through Friday by appointment, with daytime and evening times available at my West Omaha office near 123rd and West Center Road.