Mindfulness-based

Online Premarital Counseling

in Oregon ,Washington, and Illinois

 
 
 
Image of an arbor at an outside wedding venue. Building a solid relationship foundation from the beginning is key. Learn the skills to accomplish this goal with premarital counseling online in Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Preparing you for the ins and outs of a strong, happy marriage so that you can feel confident and ready for your lifelong commitment together.

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Man putting an engagement ring on his new fiance's finger.  You've made the decision to take the next step in your relationship, marriage. Now is the perfect time to start building that strong foundation with premarital counseling in Illinois.
 

Newly engaged? Congratulations! Premarital Counseling is here to help!

You have found each other, and you are ready to be by each other’s side for the rest of your life. You’re deeply in love and share beautiful hopes and dreams for the future together. You are the center of each other’s universe, and this time is like no other time in your life. You are excited for the life-long journey together, and at the same time, you want to make sure to set your best foot forward in preparing for your marriage.

Perhaps, you are a keen observer, and you’ve learned the importance of a strong foundation from reflecting on other people’s stories. You want the absolute best for your relationship, and you are ready to protect it and keep it strong as you enter the next stage in life.

Goals of Premarital Counseling

With Premarital Counseling, I will help you plan ahead and iron out some of the crucial topics together so that you can feel happy, confident, and on the same page to sharing a life together.


Premarital Counseling Questions & Topics

  • Overall couple strengths and growth areas

  • Communication styles

  • Stress management

  • Finance

  • Extended family

  • Spirituality

  • Family planning

  • Sex and intimacy

  • Expectations with friends and families.

Hello, I am May.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I specialized in working with newly engaged couples on long-term commitment readiness.

Through premarital counseling at Spark Relational Counseling, I will help you navigate your expectation, strengthen your communication, and create a stronger foundation for a long-lasting healthy relationship

 

Spark Relational Counseling’s Approach to Premarital Counseling

Studies have shown the general effectiveness of premarital counseling. At Spark-Relational counseling, we adopt an experiential approach to premarital counseling. From the first session, I will gently hear your hopes and goals for our time together. From there, I may invite you to talk about a topic that warrants interest for both of you.

Learn New Communication Skills

During this process, I will not only help facilitate a rich discussion, but also guide you to a new, different, and more effective way of communication. Through this new communication skill, you and your partner will learn to talk about things that matter to you and feel heard in a way you may have never experienced before.

As we continue our discussion, I will help you navigate your differences and learn to create space for each other in a way that feels good before coming up with a collaborative decision.

Build a Solid Foundation

Together, we walk the path of building a solid foundation for your relationship by empowering you to communicate more effectively and showing you how to be there for each other in a heartfelt way so that you can feel confident, ready, and supported for your shared journey together.

 
Couple celebrating taking the next step in their relationship together. Premarital counseling in Illinois can help you build the start of a healthy relationship that will stand the test of time. Learn more from a cultural therapist in Illinios
 
  • Step 1.

    Fill out the contact form and choose a good call-back time.

  • Step 2.

    Hear back from us within 24-48 hours (except for weekends and holidays).

  • Step 3.

    Start preparing your life together with the best foot forward and feel connected and confident for the long term.

Biracial lesbian couple in premarital counseling. Learn more about how online therapy in Chicago can support your relationship.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 
  • Perhaps you have been through many therapy websites and wave through quite a few profiles. Searching for a therapist can be a complicated process. I honor and understand the frustration, hope, and worry in starting your therapy work. Therefore, I offer a free 15 mins phone consultation to help discuss your needs and answer any questions you may have. My hope is by the end of the call, you will have a better sense of the service I provide and make a more informed decision. 

  • Based on how the current insurance system is set up, in order to use your in-network insurance benefits, the insurance company requires me to give you a mental illness diagnosis. This diagnosis becomes part of your permanent medical record and may negatively impact your future life choices ( adoption, life insurance, employment, etc.). In addition, therapy under an in-network insurance panel is not confidential. Insurance companies and managed care panels essentially become another person in your treatment, as they require reports about our meetings to authorize sessions. They also have the power to decide how many sessions you will receive. I believe that those crucial decisions should be made between you and your therapist, not a stranger from the insurance office.

    For these concerns on in-network insurances benefits, I choose to accept only out-of-network benefits for insurances purposes. If you would like to use your insurance, I will assist by providing you with a "superbill" (An itemized receipt) for you to take advantage of any out-of-network benefits that your plan offers. Depending on your plan, your insurance company may reimburse your session cost up to a percentage. Please note that a diagnosis is still required, but we will have confidentiality and control over your course of treatment.

  • The timeline largely depends on the fluctuation of your therapist's schedule. Usually, sessions are available to be scheduled as soon as 5-7 days from the initial contact. If you are ready now, click here to skip the wait and request a session.  

  • If this is your first time going to therapy, I imagine it may be both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. I know what that feeling feels like, and congratulations on taking this crucial first step. To help you better prepare, I found this article provides some helpful information about what will happen during our first session. 

    Before arriving for your first appointment, it could also be helpful to take a moment and think about what you would like to accomplish through therapy. How have you been feeling lately? How would you like to feel? You do not have to feel obligated to tell your therapist "everything" during your first session. Instead, it is simply an opportunity to share enough and check-in with yourself on how you feel sitting with your therapist. It may also be helpful to think about what questions you might have for your therapist during your first session. You will know that a therapist is a good fit for you when you feel at ease, heard, and confident in their ability to help you during your first session.  

For a complete list of FAQs, including rates and our COVID practice, Please visit our FAQs section.

 

Start building a strong foundation for your life together now.

Other mental health services offered at Spark Relational Counseling.

Online Premarital counseling can be a valuable resource in setting a solid foundation for your relationship. We also offer online therapy for anxiety in Washington, Oregon and Illinois. In addition, we understand your needs for support don’t usually fit into one box. At Spark Relational Counseling, we offer a variety of mental health services. For individuals with struggles in anxiety, we offer anxiety treatment at our Portland anxiety clinic. For individuals with immigrant parents, and/or trans-racially adopted adults, we offer culturally sensitive individual counseling, helping you address issues around identity and cultural differences. For professionals, working women with concerns around dating and intimacy, we provide individual therapy for loneliness (dating therapy, for example) that helps you feel more confident in building a strong romantic relationship. If you are looking for support for a loved one, we also specialize in couples therapy /marriage counseling and affair recovery counseling. If you are a small business owner, we offer therapy for entrepreneurs to help you navigate the ups and downs of owning a business.Whatever your mental health needs may be, we are here to help.