Premarital Counseling
in Los Gatos, California
You've said yes or maybe you’re deciding if saying yes is right for you both.
Now comes the part nobody puts on the registry: learning how to actually navigate a life together.
Premarital counseling isn't about whether you're compatible enough, it's about building the skills to handle conflict, money, family, and everything else before those things become the source of resentment down the road. It is about having the hard conversations to set up a strong foundation.
Does any of this sound familiar?
You're engaged or wanting to be, and want to start strong instead of hoping things work themselves out
You've noticed patterns in how you fight and want to address them before the wedding, not after
You come from different families or backgrounds and want to talk through expectations before they become conflicts
You haven't talked in detail about money, kids, or long-term goals
You want tools for conflict before you actually need them
You've seen relationships around you struggle and want to do things differently
Signs you could benefit from premarital therapy in Los Gatos
What if you could go from:
Assuming you're on the same page about the big things
→ Actually knowing where you align and where you don't
Avoiding hard conversations so the engagement stays happy
→ Having hard conversations now, while there's room to work through them
Repeating unexamined patterns from your families of origin
→ Consciously choosing what you want to carry forward and what you don't
Hoping you'll figure out conflict when it comes up
→ Having real tools for conflict before you need them
How premarital counseling in California can help
Most couples don't fail because they're incompatible. They struggle because they never built the skills to navigate differences, disagreements, and disappointment together.
Premarital counseling gives you a structured space to talk about the things that are easy to skip during engagement: how you'll handle conflict, how you'll divide responsibilities, what you each learned about marriage growing up, and what you actually want yours to look like.
The Gottman Institute's research on newlyweds has found that couples who engage in premarital education show greater relationship satisfaction and lower divorce rates in the years that follow.
A stronger foundation — start the marriage having already practiced hard conversations, not avoiding them
Alignment, or useful clarity — either confirm you're aligned on the big things, or catch a misalignment while there's time to work through it
A partnership built on choice, not assumption — build the relationship you actually want, intentionally
A real conversation about expectations — money, family, kids, roles, before you're navigating them under pressure
Conflict skills before you need them — learn how you each fight and how to fight in a way that doesn't cause damage
Understanding your patterns — see what you're each bringing in from your families of origin, and choose what to keep
What you'll gain from premarital counseling
What working together is really like
Step 1. We talk through your individual histories, what you each learned about marriage, conflict, and partnership growing up.
Step 2. We identify the areas where you're aligned and the areas where you haven't fully talked things through yet, money, family, roles, expectations.
Step 3. We practice real conflict and communication tools together, so you're walking into marriage with skills, not just good intentions.
My approach to premarital counseling
I work from an attachment-informed and EFT-informed lens, which means we look at what you each learned about love, conflict, and partnership growing up, and how that's already showing up in your relationship now.
This isn't about finding problems in a happy relationship. It's about building real skills while things are good, so you have them when things get hard, because they eventually will.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It varies, but many couples find 6-10 sessions gives enough time to cover the major areas without feeling rushed.
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That's actually the ideal time to start. Premarital counseling works best as prevention, not crisis response.
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Either is fine. Some couples start before getting engaged to make sure they're building the relationship intentionally. Some never plan to marry but plan to be committed partners or would like kids together.
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Couples sessions are $250 for 50 minutes. I'm a private-pay provider, meaning no diagnosis required and no insurance limits on your care. I provide a superbill for potential reimbursement.
Start premarital counseling in Los Gatos today
If you're ready to build a strong foundation before the wedding, I'd love to connect. I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can talk before you commit to anything.
Telehealth throughout California. Serving Los Gatos, Saratoga, Atherton, Menlo Park, Tiburon, Danville, Orinda, and the greater Bay Area.