The Couple Checkup - Relationship Evaluation

Are you hesitating entering into a deeper relationship because you are not sure if it's the right one for you? Then The Couple Check-Up is the solution to your dilemma. It’s a comprehensive relationship inventory that has been developed specifically to look at the key issues which affect couples - personality, money, sex, family background and many more key areas are covered. The 20 page full color report measures different aspects of your relationship. The Couple Checkup helps you talk and think together about your relationship and what steps to be taken to grow both as individuals and as a couple. 

The Couple Check-up is not only meant for those who are entering into a deeper relationship but it’s very useful for those that are planning to get married and want to know how to grow and strengthen their relationship. It also helps married couples to better understand each other and identify the problems that act as a barrier in their relationship. This program is helpful for couples at any stage whether they’re dating, preparing for marriage, already married.

The Couple Checkup pre-marriage and couple-enrichment questionnaires are based on extensive research and are made available through the Marriage 101 Online program. 

Let’s list out some of the goals of couple checkup:

Celebrate your relationship strengths: You should encourage the areas where you and your partner are doing well so that they remain strong.

Identify your differences and decide to resolve them. Don’t ignore the issues on which you both differ. The assessment will help you see how to help each other and how to communicate so your partner can understand.  Relationship growth takes work and compromise.  Issues can be resolved!

Persuade yourself and your partner to talk about your relationship.  If you share your feelings and ideas with your partner you will find out ways to build a stronger relationship.

Is Marriage Counseling and Pre-Marriage Counseling Really Important?

None can honestly disagree if I say that there is no marriage or relationship without problems and obstacles. No one is naturally equipped with the ability to maintain a relationship and resolve issues without some sort of effort. Marriage should never reach the brink of divorce, therefore marriage counseling acts as a great tool to help restore the lost spark in that relationship. Counseling is necessary for both married couples as well as unmarried couples who are planning to get married.

Let us first discuss the benefits of marriage counseling. They are as follows:

• Marriagecounseling helps couples express their needs clearly and openly without resentment or anger
• Counseling helps couples confront the hurts they feel and acts as a platform where the husband and wife can address the issues and talk about them.
• Couples can review their actions to see what may have caused a conflict between the two
• A trained counselor can give transparent and unbiased opinions about the issues faced by the couple. An objective third party can help couples get to the core of the problem.

Now comes pre-marriage counseling. Obviously getting married a big decision in our lives. The thought of divorce rarely enters our mind before marriage.  Then you are married and problems start popping one by one and, if not addressed properly, can result in a quick and often messy divorce. So pre-marriage counseling is very important.

Here are the benefits of pre-marriage counseling:

• Pre-marriage counseling helps identify potential areas of conflict.
• Counseling before marriage helps individuals to understand the real concept of marriage.
• Pre-marriage counseling can help resolve past issues before they become present issues.
• Interests and Activities, Role & Marriage Expectations, Sexual Intimacy, Communication, and Handling Finances are commonly covered in pre-marital counseling.

Christian premarital counseling has its own benefits for happy married life

Christian premarital counseling is like antidote for doing away with extreme conditions like divorce or unhappy married life, in fact it prepares or gives you the view of you married future before you say the words “I do”. Premarital counseling takes you steps closer to the dream of having that very perfect lovable relationship even after years of getting married. So what are those key components that make Christian premarital counseling so important in one’s life especially in these modern times? Well, let’s have a look at some of them.
•In Christian religion saving the marriage and strengthening the relationship after marriage are utterly important so for this very reason each and every one of you out there needs to have a look at the weak and strong points of your relationship.
•Christian marriage counselors help a couple in developing communication skills and acquaint them with new strategies for facing difficult times or situations where a disagreement occurs.

•It helps in keeping the couple on the right track and instills a sense of realization as to what God’s principle for marriage really is.
•Serious issues like adultery, alcoholism or even abuse need to be addressed in advance so that the couple can find an eternal solution to these insensible problems.
•A counselor will assess the current status of your relationship and also determine your willingness to change the behavior if needed.
•A Christian counselor helps you in establishing goals in tune with your married life and monitors the progress so that you can handle the relationship better.

Why is premarital counseling important for healthy married life

I’m sure you have given thought to the fact that so many marriages are ending in divorce or live in dissatisfaction with their relationship? One of the main reasons for this is not being prepared for the life that follows marriage.  It’s like going mountain climbing with no rope, barefoot, and in your swimsuit.  You’re not properly prepared!  And the things that you not prepared for, the unexpected events of everyday married life, hit you right between the eyes and you just can’t figure out what to do.   So you punt and say, “we’re not compatible” or “I’m not happy anymore”.  Marriage takes work, commitment and preparation. 
Premarital counseling is absolutely essential to get you prepared for what married life brings.  You will both learn and develop the necessary skills to deal those “difficult issues”. A strong, healthy relationship is possible.  Everyone wants a satisfying and stable marriage, but not everyone prepares properly and is ready for the ups and downs in a relationship. Don’t delay.  Learn what it takes to tackle the tough problems that are certain to come up.  Listed below are several benefits of Premarital Counseling.

Benefits of Premarital Counseling    
•    Identifies the strengths in their relationship and helps strengthen them even further. Also identifies areas needing growth and how to make them stronger.
•    In the early stages of the married life there are small issues that don’t seem very significant. But small problems tend to grow into big issues that can cause division.  Premarital counseling helps the couple identify potential weak areas in the relationship and how to deal with “small” problems before they become serious.
•    Most importantly it helps one to identify how their behavior affects their partner.  You will be able to see how even minor changes can make a significant impact on being the perfect partner for your spouse. 

Christian premarital counseling versus secular counseling

What is the difference between Christian Premarital Counseling and secular Premarital Counseling?

While the two will cover similar topics, Christian Pre Marriage Counseling will also take into account God’s purpose and plan for marriage.

All good premarital counseling will cover the “big 5”:

• Marital Expectations
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Finances
• Sexual Intimacy

Truly, no marriage can expect to flourish if the man and woman don’t poses adequate tools for dealing with the day-to-day difficulties of marriage.  If you are seeking pre marriage counseling, make sure the curriculum covers these 5 topics…at a minimum!

If you identify yourself as ‘Christian’, as a majority of US couples do, you may be interested in the ‘big 5’ as well as what God’s Word says about marriage.
During your counseling time, you’ll probably hear things like, ‘One man. One woman. For Life’ and you may discuss the biblical concept of ‘leaving and cleaving’.  You may also be advised that sex and cohabitation before marriage is contrary to God’s ideal for your marriage.

All said, Christian Pre Marriage Counseling has been created in order to ‘line us up’ with the pattern God has established for the covenant relationship of marriage.  Marriage exposes sin in our lives.  It exposes our selfish nature.  It exposes our inability to truly fulfill our spouse.  But, most importantly, it exposes our need for mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  One of God’s purposes for marriage is to show us just how much we need Jesus.

If you’re in searching for quality, Christian Pre Marriage Counseling, check out www.marriage101online.com for some great advice.

Grace Products Corporation

In 1984 the founder, Greg Vaughn, discovered that most couples prepare more to get a drivers license than to make one of the most important decisions of their life; getting married.

He decided to help make a difference. In 1985 he produced the first premarital video curriculum ever created, called Before You Say "I DO". Over 14,000 churches of every denomination quickly adopted Before/After You Say "I DO" as the standard for premarital counseling and marital enrichment. We continued adding to our successful product line with the So, You're Getting Married DVD series, the "His and Her" companion workbooks and The Marriage Kit. Over 200,000 couples have trusted their premarital counseling to us and we have not disappointed them.

And now we are proud to present the most innovative resource in the area of premarital coaching and marital enrichment, called Marriage 101: Back to the Basics. We are sure once you have had an opportunity to take advantage of this versatile resource you will agree that Marriage 101: Back to the Basics should be the primary tool for your marriage ministry.

Greg Vaughn

Greg is the president and founder of Grace Products. He is the winner of two Television Emmy for his series IN SEARCH OF THE HEROES. This series is used in over 40,000 schools and libraries across the country. He is also the founder of one of the fastest growing men’s movement in the country called Letters from Dad. Greg has become a fixture at men’s conferences, annual conventions and luncheons as he speaks on the theme of “Leaving a Legacy that Lasts”. He is also the creator of “The Visual Biography Co.” that weaves together the story of a person’s life and puts it on film for posterity.

However, all of the above pales in comparison to the great privilege of being married to his wife Carolyn and the joy of being called DAD by his seven awesome children.

Read what our couples are saying about our Premarital Counseling:

Awesome stuff! The premarital counseling DVDs were full of content and practical wisdom. Glad we took the time to go through the process.

Jason Rogers, McKinney, TX

As a parent that had 2 children getting married in ONE year, I know that your premarital counseling resources gave us the assurance that our children were equipped to make this most important decision.

Greg Lee, Richardson, TX

Our church required 8 sessions of premarital counseling. We didn't understand why. After a few months of marriage, we understand why! It was a great investment of our time.

Tony and Brooke Paschali, Houston, TX

I love the Marriage Kit and all the books that augmented the video series. The Family History Test was an eye opener for us. We both come from totally different kinds of families.

Carolyn Brosseau, Long Island, NY

Read what our churches are saying:

You never hear me say things like this. "Buy this premarital counseling series. It's the best I have ever seen. Don't think about it... Just purchase it".

Jay Strack

Youth conference speaker and National syndicated radio