Pre-Marital Counseling

A guide for therapists and counselors, Pre-Marital Counseling addresses the common problems couples face when starting or considering marriage. This step-by-step guide teaches specific intervention strategies for common pre-marital problems, such as financial stress, blending families, and mental health issues. It also teaches readers helpful skills such as developing empathy, learning to compromise, and communicating successfully, all within a potentially diverse client population. Skurtu further helps clinicians personalize their assessment and treatment plans for each couple so that they have realistic expectations. Written by a certified sex therapist, there is also a unique chapter on helpful sex education tips for maintaining desire in long-term relationships.

Angela Skurtu, MEd, LMFT, is a certified sex therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist in Ballwin, Missouri.

Preface  Acknowledgements  Introduction  1. Session One: Assessment and Treatment Planning  2. Session Two: Choosing to Love  3. Session Three: Being Empathetic  4. Session Four: Fighting Respectfully  5. Session Five: Asking for Needs and Wants Effectively  6. Session Six: Keeping the Spark Alive  7. Session Seven: Individualized Care  8. Session Eight: Termination and Recommendations  Index