premarital Counseling

More and more, couples are recognizing the importance of emotionally intelligent premarital counseling as part of their wedding.

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This is a wonderful thing, because our relationships are not something we simply have; they are something we build, and counseling can help us build stronger marriages. 

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​Drawing on 20+ years of experience as a rabbi, chaplain and pastoral therapist, I counsel couples of all religions, genders and ethnic backgrounds through drafting their own marriage covenant, or ketubah, and building their marriage.

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The ketubahs I help couples draft are affirmative articulations of what they are committing to their marriage.

• What practices will help their partnership endure over the long haul?

• How do they want to show up for each other when things get hard, as they inevitably will?

• How can they harness friction to draw them closer, not drive them apart?

• Which patterns from childhood and prior relationships do they want to embrace, and which ones to they want to try to leave behind?

• How do they reconnect after arguments?​

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Weddings last a day and are beautiful; marriages last a lifetime and can lift us up and grind us down. Counseling strengthens marriages.

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Oftentimes, I counsel couples who are having a friend, relative or other "casual officiant" lead their wedding, and if so, I'm glad to coach them through how to create a ceremony that has an accessible flow, and how to maintain a calm, reassuring presence during an intense moment. 

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You can learn more about my process from these testimonials and if you'd like to discuss premarital counseling together, please use the form below to be in touch.