Christian Premarital Counseling in Tampa and Bradenton, Florida
You are planning a wedding, and I hope you are enjoying every bit of it! The wedding day itself will come and go in a matter of hours, though, and the marriage is what the two of you will live in for the rest of your lives. Premarital counseling gives you a place to build that marriage on purpose, before life gets busy and old patterns have a chance to set in.
I am Dr. Shanon Roberts, PhD, LMHC, and I have spent over 30 years in marriage and family therapy. I offer premarital counseling in person in Tampa and Bradenton and virtually, and I bring faith into our work at the level the two of you are comfortable with.
Why start before the wedding?
Couples talk about seeking help for an average of four years before they actually find it, and by then small hurts have often hardened into a pattern. The thing I hear most from married couples is "I wish we had gotten help sooner!" Premarital counseling is that sooner. You learn how the two of you handle conflict, what each of you brings from your own family, and how to repair when you hurt each other, all while you still feel close and hopeful about the future.
Three ways to prepare
The SYMBIS Assessment
SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) is an online assessment developed by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, and I am a certified SYMBIS facilitator. Each of you completes the assessment on your own, and then we sit down together and walk through your results. It gives us a clear picture of your strengths as a couple and the areas worth talking through, from communication and conflict to money, expectations and faith.
Five premarital sessions
Many couples prefer to meet over five sessions in the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. We take the big topics one at a time and practice new skills in between sessions, so they feel natural by the time you say "I do." If you want to keep going after that, before or after the wedding, ongoing sessions are always available.
A premarital intensive
If your schedules are full or you live out of town, a one-day premarital intensive gives us six focused, unhurried hours together instead of spreading the work out over several weeks.
What's included
Either option, five sessions or the one-day intensive, includes the full package:
A hard copy of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, plus his and her workbooks
A free copy of my book, Naked and Exposed: Learning to Love Well Using the Intimacy For Life Method® in Your Marriage
A certificate of completion, which can give you a discount on your Florida marriage license. If you live outside Florida, check whether your state offers a similar discount.
What we talk about
How you argue, and how to keep the argument from ever turning into the two of you against each other
What each of you learned about love and marriage growing up
Money, careers and who does what at home
Intimacy, which is so much more than the physical: emotional, mental, spiritual and physical closeness
Faith, church, and what a Christ-centered home looks like to each of you
How to say "I'm sorry" in a way your partner can actually receive
In person or virtual
You can meet with me in person at my Tampa office, a short walk from Hyde Park Village, at my Bradenton office, or by secure video. For couples who live outside Florida, virtual work is offered as coaching.
Frequently asked questions
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No. Faith is an important part of my work, and I bring it in at the level each of you is comfortable with. If the two of you come from different faith backgrounds, that is a conversation worth having before the wedding too.
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Anytime after you are engaged and before the wedding, and the work can continue after the wedding if you want it to. Starting earlier simply gives you more time to practice what you learn.
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It depends on which option fits you best, so we go over cost during your free 30-minute consultation.
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Yes. The SYMBIS Assessment is completed online, and sessions can be held by secure video if you live out of town or have busy schedules. For couples who live outside Florida, virtual sessions are offered as coaching.
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Not at all. Even after the wedding, newlyweds can still go through the SYMBIS program, and the first year is a wonderful time to build healthy patterns. If you have been married longer and things feel stuck, take a look at my Christian couples counseling or the Marriage Made Whole™ intensive.
Let's talk
The best place to start is a free 30-minute consultation. We will talk about where you are, when the wedding is, and which way of preparing makes the most sense for the two of you.
“Little children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.”
— 1 John 3:18