What Are The Types Of Catholic Marriage Counseling?
Marriage is one of the most traditional Christian values. “Marriage is honorable among all,” says Hebrews 13:4 NKJV. In Genesis 1:26, God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply.” Lastly, in Malachai 2:14, it says “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garments with violence.” Therefore, it makes sense that there would be such a thing as Catholic marriage counseling to help preserve that most sacred union between man and woman. What people may not know is that all denominations are welcome in this type of counseling for marriage, without fear of conversion.
One form of Catholic counseling happens before you even get married. Pre-marriage counseling is generally part of any Christian ceremony. Counseling for couples may be done in sessions, as a weekend retreat or as a group seminar. As with any other marital counseling, you’ll learn about conflict management, identifying wants or needs and strengthening communication skills. Often this opportunity is partially covered by insurance, with a small fee based on an income-sensitive sliding scale. The idea is that pitfalls can be prevented with a little bit of skill building and knowledge prior to tying the knot.
Another type of Catholic marriage counseling is for crisis intervention. Sometimes God’s sheep lose their way and succumb to anger or violence. The Catholic Church can help couples learn to forgive, reform and reconcile. In some cases, the damage or the destructiveness may require another intervention from licensed professional counselors, but the local pastors and priests have community resources at their disposal to deal with whatever discord comes their way.
Catholic marriage counseling is ideal for couples with strong faith who feel as though they’re falling off the path. Perhaps they’re feeling bored, having adulterous thoughts or are stressing about communication in the household. The basic premise is that one’s faith in God will provide all the strength one needs to sort through the tribulations of married life. Even though matches are said to be “made in Heaven,” we can often use a helping hand to remind us of our earthly purpose. Whether you choose a personal couples session, a group seminar or a romantic weekend retreat, Christian marriage counseling is a great start.
