We know that preparing for a wedding does not equal being prepared for marriage. A couple may have sent out calligraphy invitations to 100 of their closest friends. They may have beautiful wedding rings and wonderful music selected for their ceremony. They may even be holding two airline tickets to a romantic honeymoon destination. They may have their wedding planned down to the finest detail, but the truth remains: Being prepared for a wedding does not equal being prepared for a marriage.8 It’s understandable that some couples spend more time preparing for their wedding than they do for their marriage. Wedding plans seem far more tangible. Once the caterer is scheduled it can be checked off the to-do list. Relational readiness is not so tidy. Every year, however, experts are making great strides in identifying how to significantly improve the odds a couple has for a fulfilling lifelong marriage. A few studies show that certain pre-marriage variables can differentiate couples who will do well and those who will not do well with up to a 94% accuracy rate.10 The SYMBIS Assessment is built on a growing mountain of research that reveals what is most effective when it comes to pre-marriage education (as well as marriage enrichment for SYMBIS+).

It explores a full range of issues - from relatively simple and static dimensions such as longevity of the relationship, critical skill sets such as communication, and all of the complexities of joining two sets of personality dynamics. All in all, the SYMBIS Assessment covers more than two-dozen particular dimensions based upon research studies with relevance to your coaching and counseling.

These include:

Some of these issues deserve more time and attention than others and the structure of the SYMBIS Report will help you naturally sequence through them in an organized manner and at a natural pace, allowing you to focus on issues of relevance.

Any couple can take the SYMBIS Assessment – but you’ll need a Certified SYMBIS Facilitator. Why? Because they are trained in debriefing your personalized 15-page report with you. Additionally, the SYMBIS Report is incredibly powerful and robust. For this reason, a certified Facilitator is required to help you understand and apply all the valuable information it contains. If your relationship is getting serious, you should take the assessment, as it’s never too soon to begin the process of exploring your potential future together.

Contact us for more information on available programs and packages.

PREPARE/ENRICH is one of the most highly researched assessment tools used for pre-engagement, premarital, marriage, and couples counseling.

This assessment has shown to improve relationship satisfaction and help couples identify strength and growth areas. PREPARE/ENRICH automatically tailors each assessment to uniquely support each couple's relationship and family system. The assessment is completed online and takes about thirty minutes to an hour.

PREPARE/ENRICH meets the premarital education requirement in Georgia, and all couples can receive a discount on their marriage license fee after attending six premarital therapy sessions.

PREPARE/ENRICH goals:

The Prepare-Enrich program helps couples:

• Identify and explore strength and growth areas
• Strengthen communication skills
• Resolve conflict using a Ten Step Model
• Identify and manage stressors
• Explore financial planning & budgeting
• Understand family of origin issues
• Establish personal, relationship, and family goals
• Understand and appreciate relational differences

What relationship areas are assessed?

• 12 Relationship Scales – communication, conflict resolution, roles, sexuality, finances, spiritual beliefs and more
• 5 SCOPE Personality Scales
• 4 Couple and Family Scales – based on the circumplex model
• 4 Relationship Dynamic Scales
• 30 Customized Scales

Validity and Reliability

An important strength of the PREPARE/ENRICH Inventories is their strong psychometric properties. High levels of reliability and validity have been found for each instrument, making them valuable tools for research as well as clinical use.

Based on research including over 500,000 couples, PREPARE/ENRICH has validity in that it discriminates premarital couples that get divorced from those that are happily married with about 80-85% accuracy. Reliability for the assessment is high (alpha reliability of .80 - .85).

Overall, PREPARE/ENRICH is an effective program used in therapy to improve couple relationships.

Beginning Therapy

After the counselor and couple agree that utilizing the PREPARE/ENRICH model is a good fit, the couple will take the assessment online and then begin working through the goals established together in therapy.

Dr. Linda is a PREPARE/ENRICH counselor, we would love to help! Dr. Linda offers PREPARE/ENRICH when working with couples that are thinking about long term commitment, engaged, or married.

Request an appointment or contact our office for more information about PREPARE/ENRICH and couples counseling.