“Am I making the right choice?” “What if things change after marriage?” “Is love enough to make it work?”
These questions often creep into the minds of individuals who are engaged or soon-to-be engaged. It’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety before taking such a life-changing step. Marriage is a lifelong journey, filled with love, companionship, and challenges. It is not just about dreamy vacations, festive celebrations, or candlelight dinners.
Real marriage comes with real struggles—disagreements, financial planning, family expectations, and emotional adjustments. In India, a marriage signifies the union of two families, not just two individuals, with significant emphasis placed on respecting and integrating with the extended family customs and traditions, which can sometimes present challenges for couples needing to adjust to this dynamic. This is where premarital counselling can play a vital role in helping Indian couples overcome their fears and set a strong foundation for their future together.
Premarital counselling helps couples prepare for a strong and fulfilling marriage by offering guidance on key aspects of their relationship. In India, where both arranged and love marriages exist, partners may have different backgrounds, values, and expectations. Counselling encourages open conversations, helping them understand each other better, address potential conflicts, and build a solid foundation for their future together.
Shivani Misri Sadhoo, who is a leading relationship expert and premarital counsellor delves deep into the topic.
Why Premarital Counselling Matters for Indian Couples?
Couples therapist Shivani Sadhoo says premarital counselling will help you to achieve the following
1. Identify Issues At The Inception – Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of premarital counselling is its ability to catch and resolve issues before they grow into major conflicts. It helps couples explore topics they might overlook—values, expectations, or beliefs—fostering deeper understanding and alignment.
By addressing potential differences early, partners can develop effective strategies to navigate future challenges, strengthening their bond and laying a solid foundation for a lasting relationship.
2. Communication Matters – Another merit of premarital counselling is that it encourages open and honest communication. Strong communication forms the heart of a happy relationship. Through counselling, couples learn to express themselves clearly, listen with care, and handle disagreements in a healthy way.
They discover how to share feelings without blame, understand each other’s needs, and find solutions that bring them closer instead of pushing them apart.
3. Discuss About Expectations – With marriage comes a world of expectations—about love, commitment, and the life partners will build together. Every couple envisions a future shaped by their hopes and beliefs, from finances to family dynamics.
Open conversations, especially before marriage, help align these expectations, ensuring both partners understand each other. Being on the same page strengthens the bond, preventing misunderstandings and creating a smoother journey ahead.
4. Conflict Resolution Tactics – Every relationship faces disagreements, but how couples handle them shapes their journey together. Premarital counselling helps partners navigate conflicts with understanding and respect, turning small issues into opportunities for growth.
It teaches them to express emotions without blame, listen with an open heart, and find solutions that honour both perspectives. This builds a deeper connection and strengthens their ability to weather life’s challenges together.
5. Bridging Two Worlds – In today’s world, many Indian couples come from diverse backgrounds, cities, or even religions. While love unites them, differences in culture and lifestyle can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
Premarital counselling helps bridge these gaps by offering ways to blend traditions, embrace each other’s perspectives, and build a harmonious bond. It paves the way for a relationship that honours both individuality and togetherness.
Marriage is more than just love; it’s about understanding, communication, and adaptation. Premarital counselling helps couples prepare for real-life challenges, align expectations, and strengthen their bond. By encouraging open discussions, conflict resolution, and cultural harmony, it lays the foundation for a happy, fulfilling, and lasting marriage in the Indian context.
Shivani Misri Sadhoo is an internationally recommended relationship counsellor by the world’s biggest and most trusted study and research-based foundation for couples therapy – Gottman Institute. She is trained in specialised key relationship counselling Skills from AIIMS, VIMHANS and various other reputed institutions. Counsellor Shivani Misri Sadhoo is also certified in emotionally focused therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy.
Counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo is also a Certified Neuro Linguistic Practitioner with specialized training and experience in the field of affairs/betrayals, trust issues, difficulty communicating, conflicting values, bereavement, grief and loss (affairs, separation, divorce, childhood) and emotional health issue (anxiety, social anxiety, fear, depression, low mood).
Currently, Shivani Misri Sadhoo is one of the top counselors with the HIGHEST Success Rate with over 17,000 happy couples and individuals (based in India and abroad), who has benefited from her therapy. Psychologist and Counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo not only practices independently from her clinic in Greater Kailash, Delhi, India, but also is listed on the panel of eminent hospitals like IBS Hospital Panel – Institute of Brain and Spine, Express Clinic, Fortis (formerly) based in Delhi.
Call Counselor: +91-8860875040
Email: saarthiforlife@gmail.com
