Family and Marital Counseling

For those couples and families in conflict and under emotional stress, a well-planned, supportive counseling intervention can be a critical factor in assisting relationships toward greater satisfaction and harmony. Too often, conflicts and problems are avoided or buried, and then later surface as divorce for couples or psychological distress in the children within a family.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego, provides professionally directed, affordable, low-cost counseling services for individuals, couples, and families.

Premarital Counseling Services

A healthy relationship between an engaged couple is the foundation for a successful marriage and a well-adjusted family. Catholic Charities offers two programs for engaged couples. Each program provides an engaged couple information concerning the current strengths and weaknesses of the relationship with practical suggestions on how to improve their future marital life. With their consent, this information is provided to their referring priest.

Professionally trained counselors interview the couple and explore issues which are vital to the success or failure of the relationship. On the basis of these interviews and discussions, the counselor is able to identify potential interference to the development of a mature marital relationship. These problem areas are explored with the couple and suggestions are made for how the couple can make adjustments.

Some of the areas explored in counseling sessions are as follows: the past history of both individuals and how the past can influence the patterns of current behavior, current level of commitment, communication styles, sexuality, financial management, spirituality, parenting, spousal expectations, attitudes toward parenting, friendships, academic and job issues, leisure compatibility, and conflict management. Couples are given feedback about the strengths of their relationship and are advised when further work is needed.

The Premarital Programs of The Center for Counseling of Catholic Charities are sanctioned and endorsed by the Diocese. For further information regarding these and other counseling services call 619 231-2828 and ask for the intake coordinator.

Premarital Counseling Program

This program is designed for engaged couples and provides an in-depth assessment, exploration, and discussion of the current relationship and upcoming marital life. It is an excellent resource for couples wishing to find ways to enhance their existing relationship. This service can also be a resource for a priest who has some concern about a couple applying for marriage. The cost for the Premarital Counseling Program is $200.00 per couple.

The Premarital Counseling Program fulfills the required marriage preparations asked for in the Diocese of San Diego. The Pre-Cana program should precede this and when couples are not able to attend the Evenings for the Engaged or the Weekend Engaged Encounter this can substitute as the second part of the marriage preparation program.

Premarital Intervention

This counseling service is for a couple who are experiencing a psychological or spiritual impasse prior to their wedding day. When a relationship is in trouble prior to marriage, the marriage may result in separation and divorce. It is specifically intended for couples who have completed the traditional marriage preparation programs but still have unresolved problems. A priest may choose to refer a couple for counseling when he feels that there is reason for concern. A referring priest will receive a written report on counseling progress upon request and written consent of the couple.