The Marriage Dividend: Extended Premarital Classes
In looking at the 8-hour Premarital Class, you may wonder if that is enough time to learn the information and skills you need for a successful relationship.
Although
8-hours of premarital preparation has shown to make a significant difference in preventing
divorce, it is not enough for most couples to master the skill of
communication or to deeply understand how relationships work. You spent hundreds of hours learning your job or hobby and you probably still have more you could learn, or could benefit from practice for greater mastery.
It's normal to have conflict in a marriage or any long term committed relationship. What makes the difference is how you respond to the conflict. And learning to respond differently from your old habits or behavior patterns can take time.
The Marriage Dividend: Extended Premarital Class was created to offer couples support over the course of a year, giving them to time to integrate the information and skills that are the basis of the 8-hour Premarital Class.
The Marriage Dividend: Extended Premarital Classes contains all of material from the 8-hour Premarital Class in the very first class so that you can get your waiver for your marriage license. The difference is that you have access to two therapists in your first class and the couples you start with will continue on for future classes.
You will continue to learn and develop your understanding of relationships and the skills for a deeply satisfying marriage. We will meet once a month for 9 hours (with an hour for lunch). There are seven full-day Saturday classes. Future topics are determined by the couples themselves. The class is limited to five couples.
Dave Kaplowitz, LMFTA and Michelle Bohls, LMFT both teach premarital classes, are relationship experts, and licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Having a male and female leadership team gives participants the benefits of different perspectives.
Schedule
The Fall Start, 2011 class meets the second Saturdays of September,
October, and November (with December and January off) and February,
March, April, May, 2012.
The Spring Start, 2012 class meets the third Saturdays of February,
March, April, May (with June-August off) and September, October, and
November.
Cost
The cost of all seven classes is $2,520. You can divide the fee into 12 monthly payments of $210 or prepay for a savings of $420 ($2100). Compared to couple's counseling, a class can be more affordable (it breaks down to around $30 an hour) and additionally it gives a couple the support of other couples and shared learning. Often times you will learn about a topic you didn't think of asking about but that ends up being invaluable. Having support during the earliest part of your Marriage means you will start off on the right note.
