Pre-Marriage Counselling: PREPARE/ENRICH – Building Strong Marriages

Last updated on March 23rd, 2017 at 09:22 pm

Engaged to be Married? Planning on Getting Hitched? Pre-Marital Counselling is a Great Idea!

When you stand at the altar awaiting your Groom or Bride on your wedding day, what factors will determine how you will be able to build a lasting relationship union together?

Your wedding preparations no doubt involve a lot of time, energy, organization, and money. Are you making a lifetime investment?

The PREPARE/ENRICH Assessment
will help you answer these questions. 

Why use the Prepare/Enrich Program?

Stronger marriages build stronger communities. The PREPARE/ENRICH Program  helps couples like you and your soon-to-be spouse sort out specific strength and growth areas, teach you communication and conflict resolution skills, and help you resolve key relationship issues.

PREPARE/ENRICH leads the way in helping couples explore and strengthen their relationships. The main component of the program is an online survey you each complete in about 30-45 minutes. PREPARE/ENRICH is not just any survey. The items you respond to are based on research and are intended to help you identify the unique strengths and potential growth areas of your premarital or married relationship.

You’ll meet with Philipa, a facilitator trained to provide feedback by helping you understand your results and learn important relationship skills. Built on a solid research foundation, PREPARE/ENRICH has been improved and refined over the years to become one of the best, most effective, easy-to-use relationship assessment tools available.

A small investment in the PREPARE/ENRICH Program will reap huge rewards in the long run.

What is the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

The PREPARE/ENRICH Program consists of a couple questionnaire/assessment component which you complete online in about 30-45 minutes. The items you respond to are based on sound research and are intended to  help you understand your unique couple system.The PREPARE/ENRICH survey identifies you and your partner’s strong points and areas for development.

This program provides you with the practical skills and tools necessary to build a lifelong, happy and fulfilling relationship/marriage with the one you love, allowing you to see what lies ahead and how to get through the inevitable bumps on the road that all long term relationships and even happy couples go through.

How Many People Have Taken the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

Over 2.5 million couples have taken the PREPARE/ENRICH Program (5 million people) since it began in 1980. That’s over 30 years of life and wedding enhancement.

Who is Eligible to Take the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

The PREPARE/ENRICH Program is not limited to pre-marriage couples. It can be used for marriage counselling, marriage enrichment, living together-partnerships (or thinking about living together), and dating couples considering engagement.

Can Anyone Provide the Assessment for the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

No.

Philipa Thornton is a fully  trained facilitator in the PREPARE/ENRICH Program and will help you understand your results and learn important relationship skills.

Philipa provides the expertise of a couple counsellor and as a relationship psychotherapist. With Philipa, you will be discussing the assessment results over a feedback session. She will be helping you both understand your results and you will be taught proven relationship skills, helping your relationship to go the distance. You will be given all your relationship assessments in printed booklets.

What are the Major Benefits of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

The program helps couples:

• Explore strength and growth areas
• Strengthen communication skills
• Identify and manage major stressors
• Resolve conflict using the Ten Step Model
• Develop a more balanced relationship
• Explore family of origin issues
• Discuss financial planning and budgeting
• Establish personal, couple, and family goals
• Understand and appreciate personality differences 

  

Is the PREPARE/ENRICH Program Evidence Based?

Yes.

High levels of reliability and validity have been found for each instrument, making them valuable tools for research as well as clinical use. National Norms based on over 500,000 couples. 

High Levels of Validity and Reliability

The PREPARE/ENRICH Program has validity in that it discriminates premarital couples that get divorced from those that are happily married with about 80-85% accuracy. Reliability is high (alpha reliability of .80 – .85).

Who Developed the Customised Version of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

David H. Olson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota; Founder and CEO, Life Innovations; Licensed Consulting Psychologist; and Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, State of Minnesota.
Peter J. Larson, Ph.D.
President, Life Innovations. Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of Minnesota.

What Does the Australian Version of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program with Philipa Give You and Your Partner?

For a small one-off investment of $450 ($550 after hours), you and your partner will receive the following:

1. A preliminary face-to-face meeting for us to get to know each other and for you to get a description and overview of the questionnaire.
2. Access to the Online PREPARE/ENRICH Program (facilitator log-in required). This is completed in the comfort of your home and in your convenient time. The results are sent directly to Philipa for your feedback session.
3. One in-depth 90-minute feedback session.

There is more – YOURS FREE as part of the package:

4. Your FREE copy of the 10-page Couples Report of the PREPARE/ENRICH Assessment
5. Your FREE copy of the Couples Workbook– a 28-page high quality booklet packed with over 20 ideas and exercises to boost your relationship.

Here’s the link to the PREPARE/ENRICH website:
www.prepare-enrich.com.au

Couple Comments and Reviews

Here is what other couples have had to say about the PREPARE/ENRICH Program:

Comments from Couples at theknot.com:

“Our officiant had us fill out this test as well.  We really liked it.  The program showed areas of strength and pinpointed things we needed to talk about.  The coolest thing is it comes with a workbook with activities that you and your FI can do to build communication.  I would suggest you do the PREPARE/ENRICH program.” – Tennessee

“We had to do it also, and like the previous post we loved it.  Good Luck!  Have fun with it.  Just remember it can’t do any harm to find out where you two can improve.  Kinda like extra credit.” – Omaha

“Our pastor is having us use the program as well!” – Wyoming

“We used it as well and it was wonderful.  It really showed us our strengths and areas of improvement to work on as a couple.  It also identified our major stressors in life which was super helpful.” – Cincinnati

“We used the assessment as well.  It was very useful and fun, too!  Had a great time!  Have fun with it!” – North Dakota

“We did the test, and it was insightful.  One of the important things is that you each do it on your own and be completely honest on your expectations.  We had fun with it.” – Seattle

“FI and I did the test as well.  We’re a very open couple and were friends for years but there were still a few things that we learned about each other through the process.” – Houston

Comments from Couples on Facebook:

“Sought it out…it was an amazing contribution to our plans for marriage.  I think it should be required!”

“I don’t know if my church requires it, but we would have wanted it regardless.  The program was so incredibly valuable for us!”

“It was required for us in WA but I am very glad we did it, because it has helped us a ton!”

“My fiancé and I wanted to take PREPARE/ENRICH and it has been such a wonderful experience.  It really brought back the value of marriage and solidified why we wanted to get married.”

“The PREPARE/ENRICH counselling was amazingly eye-opening.  Couldn’t imagine getting married without it!”

“I wanted to make sure we were on the same page before we got married.  It so helped both of us grow together even more.  I recommend every engaged couple (or thinking of marriage) to do it.”

“Asked for guidance and glad we did!  Has been a wonderful experience getting to know our pastor and believe it or not, my future husband!  Growing, learning, it’s a wonderfully reassuring experience!  I would recommend PREPARE/ENRICH to anyone!” 

How Do You and Your Partner Get to Do the PREPARE/ENRICH Pre-Marital Program Offered by Eastern Suburbs Psychologist Philipa Thornton?

Simple.

Call 0434 559 011 or send us an email at philipathornton@gmail.com now for your FREE 15-minute consultation with Philipa.

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