Pre-Marital Counseling

You are getting married in or around Des Moines, IA and you want to start your relationship off right! You’ve come to the right place! We build ‘real connections’ – solid and safe connections between you two that will last your whole life!

Your relationship might seem like rainbows and unicorns right now. You are bathing in the hope of things to come and how great it’s going to be! But you also want to be sure that you will be happily married and content 7, 15, 25, 50 years from now with your future spouse! That can be a reality with the foundations provided at Real Connections Counseling.

Marriage Preparation (also known as PreMarital Counseling) can be the best long-term gift you can ever give each other. Definitely the best long-term benefit you can do together!

Quite a few of the couples who come for Marriage Prep confess that in the back of their minds are thoughts like, “Everyone in my family is divorced, who’s to say we’ll be different?” Or “What is really going to happen when things really get hard?” That’s alright, that’s normal.

You’ll be glad to know that the Marriage Prep system at Real Connections Counseling allows you to really plan for some of those times. They like to say, “we do startups, tuneups, fixups, and all out repair!” That means that no matter how you come, including at the very beginning of your relationship, Monique & Rick take you right where you are and go with you until beautiful things happen. That’s a gift worth giving.

You might be excited and confident, or worried and cautious. Perhaps you’re simply looking to grow. No matter what, here is Monique & Rick’s promise: marriage prep counseling with Monique & Rick at Real Connections Counseling works, and will help you be better than ever. Have you ever asked yourself what would life be like if you could be better than ever even before you tie the knot?

You can set up your best relationship now. Your life can be so much better and stronger together! You both can make that happen together!

The system is remarkable in it’s simplicity: Co-Therapy. Monique & Rick enter the counseling room together with the other couple, and move forward together with them. Basically, we provide two perspectives, two sets of eyes, more creativity, far less bias, and stronger interaction. We don’t run a particular program, per se. We simply bring our twenty-six years together and allow our relationship to become a piece of the process.

They get to model being in relationship as part of the professional process. We share our own struggles and gains — sharing what has worked for us and to help prevent you from sharing the pain of those early marriage mistakes! We are professional counselors with a wide range of tools, strategies, and systems you will learn and practice together, and yet sometimes our marriage – with its struggles or tried-and-true methods have meant as much to our couples as our expertise. That’s why we’ve been so successful!

Small changes can pose exponential benefits to your relationship. For instance, small changes in the way you communicate can move you from angst to peace. Incremental changes are like the finest jewels … they teach you small things that can save your relational life. So even if you are already doing well with communication, the resources and strategies they teach will help move your relationship to the next level!

Why You Need Pre-Marital Counseling

Most couples when they get engaged, feel like they already know everything about their partner and have discussed all of the things to start their marriage off right. But Monique & Rick want to help you to dig deeper. They prepared a 15-page assessment that they’ll have you complete right out of the gate. Sounds daunting? Well, you may be right about that, but believe them when they tell you that the assessment has led to the kind of growth that truly builds relational health.

You’ll get more personal and be more thorough than most premarital programs — but you’ll be given every opportunity to succeed from the start.

Premarital counseling can be fun and stimulating. Rick & Monique work pretty hard with you, but you’ll have some fun too. When at pre-marital counseling, you’ll enjoy thinking, talking, and laughing through your future life together because your marriage counselors will help you set forth a plan that can ensure a rewarding and fulfilling marriage.

You’ll learn to truly be interested in each other, and truly want to communicate well. Yet while participation in Marriage Prep can be fun, you’ll also find your tough and rough spots. You can guarantee that your pre-marital counselors Rick & Monique Elgersma will show you parts of your life that will either tear you or graft you. But your work at Real Connections Counseling will help you into the good times, and through the rough times. Rest assured, pre-marital counseling will strengthen you, and strengthen your resolve to be a “together-or-not-at-all” couple.

You’ll maybe find pre-marital counseling to be a little bit scary sometimes as your conversation and relationship move into potentially uncharted waters. And you’ll have conversations you haven’t yet thought of having, but take heart! Questions will challenge you, and activities will test you. Your entire time together with Monique & Rick can and will be integral to your relationship’s survival.

The time allotted for Marriage Prep is easy to determine. Real Connections Counseling is revamping our premarital program – so check back for more details!

You’ll complete a 15-page Assessment Questionnaire (given to you at the initial session to be completed as “homework”) and take an online assessment. We will combine that information with some foundational relationship building skills and help you create a healthy marriage. Our marriage prep program will have you working through essential relational skills for dealing with Conflict, Communication and Trust – the top THREE issues we see in our practice.

The Marriage Prep Program

Their goal is to truly build the relational health of our community, and you can be a big part of that!

Most noteworthy though, they’re positive you’ll find your pre-marital counseling experience a rewarding and defining time in your lives and relationship. Your courage and heart is already evident as you consider making the call to Real Connections Counseling!

Hesitation is understandable, but your decision now to attend the Real Connections Marriage Prep system will prevent piles of pain, and alleviate mountains of questions. You’ll be able to affirm your love for each other, and that’s exciting for you, and for Monique & Rick!

You’ve got this!

Call 515-635-1805, or write now using the form to the right of this page. See you soon – as we head out together in search of real connections.