Prepare Enrich – Marriage Programme

Smithton-Culloden are offering a programme called Prepare Enrich to help prepare couples for marriage but also, as the name suggests, to enrich existing marriages, a kind of MOT for couples.

Research from Seddons the solicitors, in their Separation Regrets Survey, shows that those experiencing separation (either from marriage or a cohabiting relationship) primarily wished they had known:
– The kinds of difficulties couples experience (28%)
– How relationships grow and develop over time (28%)
– More about each other’s characters, values, or interests (35%)
– More effective communication (24%)
– More constructive handling of disagreements (20%)

84% of respondents did not have relationship education – for two main reasons – they never thought about it (44%), and/or they didn’t know there were such courses (37%).

These are just the sort of things that are dealt with in the discussion sessions.
Couples are first invited to meet the counsellors for a coffee and a chat to explain how it works and to see if it is for them. If they think it is, then they will fill in the questionnaire (online or as a paper copy) and they will have the next meeting over a meal where we will start the discussion process based on the results of their questionnaire. There will then be a further three or four meetings as the couple work through any issues that arise.

There is a £25 fee to cover administration costs which the couple pay but they get a few good meals out of it!

The programme website can be found at www.prepare-enrich.co.uk which fills in more of the basics.

Please contact Laurie and Tina Chancellor or Ali MacDonald for further information.