Premarital Counselling
I offer premarital counselling for couples available online worldwide and in-person in Somerset, UK. My aim is to help you both build a marriage that is strong, intimate, and resilient from the very beginning. Together, we’ll explore how to communicate well, manage conflict, and align your values so you can face life as true partners. I also share relationship insights and practical advice on my YouTube channel, where over 20,000 subscribers tune in for guidance on building stronger relationships.
Getting it right from the start
Congratulations on your engagement! Your marriage, if given it’s proper care and attention, will be your boldest and most thrilling adventure. It will be your greatest source of joy and your steadfast refuge from the world, no matter what it throws at you over the course of your life. But it takes courage, commitment and effort to get it right. Let’s make sure you can do it well.
I believe that if the world was blessed with significantly more fulfilled, committed and loving married couples, many of humanities problems would be diminished. We would raise more stable children, build more cohesive communities, want for less of the earth’s resources and have the emotional fortitude to forge a kinder and more compassionate world.
Marriage can be either your greatest source of joy and pleasure, or a long, painful feat of endurance.
Engaged couples often pour months into planning the perfect wedding: the venue, the dress, the photographer. Even the font on the invitations and the first dance song are scrutinised. It is a once in a lifetime event, so of course every detail has to be just right. You even plan for the “what ifs”: What if it rains? What if it floods? You take out insurance to cover the risks.
Yet many couples are completely unprepared for the far bigger challenge: building a happy, lasting marriage. What does a truly fulfilling marriage look like? Where are your deal breakers? What happens if careers pull you apart for long stretches? What if sex fades for one of you, but not the other? What if a no go topic slowly becomes the very issue you cannot discuss without conflict?
These are common problems, and they are rarely solved without preparation and guidance.
We all know marriage can be challenging. In fact, research shows many couples struggle within the first few years. But those who invest in their relationship early through premarital counselling give themselves the best chance at a fulfilling, lifelong partnership. Perhaps even more tragically, a large proportion of those that do survive are far from happy. Even more sobering, many marriages that do survive the statistics aren’t truly happy. Far too many couples spend decades locked in patterns of bitterness, ambivalence, or quiet loneliness — sometimes without more than a handful of meaningful conversations across the years.
The enemies are familiar: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. John Gottman calls them the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” They often creep in slowly, but once they take root, they are painfully hard to uproot.
The good news is that these challenges do not have to derail your future together. With the right preparation, couples can face them head on, strengthen their bond, and lay foundations that last for life. Premarital counselling is not about predicting every obstacle, but about giving you the tools, confidence, and clarity to handle whatever comes your way. That is where The Courageous Marriage programme comes in.
Trust & Professional Standards
I provide therapy that is direct, practical, and solution-focused. Whether you want to strengthen your relationship or deal with personal challenges, we will work together to create lasting change.
Diploma in Counselling (UWE, 2011, BACP-accredited)
20+ years’ experience in mental health and therapy roles
Fully insured and working under regular professional supervision
Currently training in Psychosexual & Relationship Therapy
In premarital counselling, we’ll talk openly about communication and conflict resolution (see my approach), how to handle money, family, and intimacy, and how to create a shared vision for the years ahead.